The Alaska citizen., 1910-11-14
A Night Escape

1t is said of men who make euor- nous fortunes by wrecking large . properties that they always have a lawyer at their elbows to advise them that they shall keep within the law r would have been well for James Maxson had he done the same The difference between Max son and these men is that they are rogues putting themselves without the pale of the law. while MaXson was an honest man putting himself in a position where the law was obliged 10 punish him.
 MaNsoE was a banker. young man not over thirty. with a lovely wife and two beautiful children, whom he adored. Without knowing that he was doing 50 he violated the national banking law and was sent to prison for ten years. The parting with his wife and children was narrowing beyond measure He felt that to serve the whole of his term would break him down com plttely and he would not live to rejoin them. A number of very strong friends accompanied him to the prison doors, and all told him that If there was anything they could do for him to command them. Maxson begged them 10 assist him to escape, and they promised to do so
 Two of them. Woodruff and Som CTS. met the same evening at Mrs Maxson's house to form a plan on which to set her husband and father at liberty l. was agreed that Mrs Maxson, who could easily gain ac- cess to the prison. should interest some of the officials there in her case and induce them either through sympathy or by bribery 10 assist her husband 10 get out of the peniten- t'ary enclosure
 The formation of a plan of es- cape made a wonderful difference both to the prisoner and his family. The easiest way to turn child from disappointment is 10 divert his mind with the promise of something to take the place of the object GOV eted The man is but the grown child. II was comparatively easy for Maxson 10 endure his captivity so long as his mind was occupied with and his hopes were centered on his escape.
 On her second visit to her husband Maxson began to study the off cials there with view to selecting one or more of them to interest in her case Maxson. being much broken down in health at his en- trance into the prison succeeded in getting himself transferred to the hospital There Mrs. MaXson while visiting him made the acquaintance of Thomas Boyle. a hospital warden, a man with a kind disposition. She took pains to tell him the story of her husbands incarceration-hOw if he had managed certain financial transactions in a different way from what he did he would have been still a respected banker instead of felon. Then she told him of the wreck of their happy home, how their little children were constantly asking when papa was coming back to them, of her own distress. In this way she won the mans sym pathy and finally by offering to make him independent in case he would contrive to get her husband beyond the prison walls she cap tured him to her purpose.
 Boyle thought the matter over and decided upon taking in an assistant. night WatChman named Hunter 1ad access to the main office room of the prison where was kept a key that must be obtained or duplicated before there would be any hope of getting Maxson out of the prison DllllulIIla. buy It lOiu MI -'idASuII AO endeavor to interest Hunter i, the plan ny offering him a large sum of money. She succeeded, and after she had done so Boyle communicat- ed with Hunter, and they l.. led plan together to get Maxson out of the building and into the prison yard There they were to assist hin 10 scale the walls, and he was to be met by his friends on the other side.
 The key required was to open Maxsons cell. It hung on a nail in the warden's safe. Hunter could get in there only when the warden was present. To take the key from the nail and not return it immediately would have revealed the fact that Maxson was to be permitted to es- cape. Hunters object was to secure an impression of the key, from which a duplicate could be made When he was ready to operate he rushed into the warden's office and told him he had heard something like a shot in the other end of the