The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-26
A CYCLONE WORK.
BY LEONARD MALLoY.

Ralph Kirby, convict. having Il good
record, was ordered to work with
party outside the prison inclns,Ire OF /
course prison officials stood over the
Workmen with loaded rifles and revoly-
ers, SO escape was as difficult as when
they were within the walls.
But something came up in compare
son with which the rifles of the guards |
were but as popguns. Kirby looked |
up from his work and saw black |
cloud coming that looked more terrible |
than the judge who years before had |
passed sentence upon him. 1t was bal |
loon shaped, the neck trailing on the
ground. He glanced at the guards and
saw that they were standing with
their backs to the prison wall. with the
cloud also behind them. He worked
on and said nothing. but hope was
rising and swelling in his breast.
1t passed between him and his
guards. Being forewarned, he threw
himself fat on the ground and held on
to stout bush. When it had passed
the guards were nowhere to be SEEN
There was method in what he did
W vi
the storm. 1t was the only direction
he could go to find possible safety. He
ran mile over ruined strip of coun-
try, when he came to a small village
that had been wrecked. Before
house that had been turned around
and blown over on it's side man was
lying on his back dead. Kirby no.
ticed that the head had been disfgur-
ed beyond recognition. He was plan
ming ahead. and his plans were made
with lightning rapidity. He took the
| dead mans clothing for himself and
put his stripes on the dead man.
Then. taking up the body. he carried it
to distance from the wrecked village
and threw it in a ditch to make it ap-
pear that it had been carried by the
cyclone from the prison.
| The storm had no sooner passed than
parties were sent out to scour the
country for those convicts who had
escaped. But they were not the only
persons moving about Without the
narrow belt traversed by the storm no
one had been injured. and rescue par
ties were coming from all directions.
Kirby. whose long confinement had
brought ill health, had by this time
used up all his strength. In the out
skirts of the village house had been
reduced to heap of kindling wood.
Kirby decided to crawl in under the
wreck. He had wormed himself in as
far as possible when a rescue party
came along and. seeing his boots, un-
covered him. Feigning death. he lay
on his back, but one of the party put
his ear to the convicts heart and heard
it throbbing. Liquor was poured down
his throat. and he knew that his sham
could not be kept up. Through partly
closed lids he saw that no prison oth-
cial was present, and he opened his
eyes. He begged the party TO leave
him and 90 on to others who needed
their attention. They We're persuaded
and did as he suggested
Then came another party. and the
convict, installing them for searcherS
from the prison. again feigned death
By this time it was dark. and his eff
fort was more succeSsful-almost too
successful. They began to dig beside
him, and when they had made shall
low grave they put him in and GOV
cred him with earth. He was abou
to cry out, when it occurred to hin
that they were not burying him deel
and the earth above him would b.
loose. No sooner had the shoyelfuls Q
clods ceased to pound him than he be
gan to push them away for air.
Meanwhile all who could be spares
from the prison were securing til
country far and wide Judging tia
those who had escaped would attemp
to hide in the track of the storm. the
followed it, and one of them, Jill
Mackin, came upon the body wearln
Kirbys stripes He identified it a
Kirby by the clothes and conclude
that there was one less prisoner to /
recaptured. Being we'll armed. Il
pushed on alone. AS the burying part
were completing their work OF COZ
ering Kirby. Mackin was approachin
the grave, and they disappeared
the darkness just before he came u
Seeing something moving directly b
fore him. Mackin threw light fro
his lantern upon the spot just in tin
to strike the corpselike face of Co
Wet Kirby rising from the grave.
Prison officials are not likely TO
easily ratified, but Mackin had fe
minutes before seen the body of Il
convict, and the sight of the dea
mans features confronting him in th
fashion was too much for his nerve
Throwing down his gun and lanter
ne ran as fast as his legs would car
him. -t-t-
Kirby, kicking off the earth, arc
frim his grave, picked up the lante
and was hurrying away when he So
the light glisten on metal and foul
the gun. This gave him courage /
could either appear to be hunting I
bodies or convicts as he liked.
worked his way through the peoI
scurrying about till he heard dlsta
locomotive whistle. 4 few mlnu'