Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-05-11
A PRISONERS
MESSAGE
By H. SANBORNE BROWNE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

John Bounce was a prisoner in a
county Jail in the wild west. He had
foolishly bought a horse for $40 that
was worth a hundred. not thinking
that the seller, being willing 10 part
with the horse for such a low price,
must have stolen it John was arrest
ed. charged with the theft. convicted
and sentenced to serve five years in
jail.
One day the jailer said to John:
Il shall see your wife tomorrow.
Have you any message for herr"
Yes" replied John; tell her to get
me out Of this"
The jailer looked at his prisoner, sur
prised.
do you mean" he asked. that you
wish her to intercede with the COVER
nor to pardon you"
mo; l wish her to tell me how to
escape"
The jailer looked at John again. this
time with a melancholy expression.
He considered that a man who would
send such a message by n whose
business it would be to thwart any
plan that might be adopted must be
losing his mind.
"All right" he said. humoring the
poor man: "I'll give her your message"
The jailer went the next day to the
town where the woman lived and, hav-
ing transacted the business he had to
do. went to see her.
"How is my poor husband?" she
asked at once.
Have you the courage to hear some
bad news:" inquired the jailer in lieu
of reply.
eyes; tell me at once" she asked
eagerly.
We'll, I fear the confinement and
the attendant misfortunes have af-
fected his brain"
The was very much over
come by this and begged the jailer to
tell her What had brought him to such
a conclusion. %whereupon the latter
| gave her her husbands message. AS
soon as she heard it she set up such
a wall that many of the neighbors
rushed in to know what was the mat.
ter. Mrs. Bounce told them that the
Imprisonment her husband was suf-
fering for an offense Of which he was
innocent had affected his mind: he
had gone daft. They advised her to
secure the services of a lawyer to
have John brought before a commits
sion to determine the facts. If one Of
unsound mind had been convicted an
injustice had been done which should
be righted. The prisoner had always
been much liked in the town. and a
great deal Of sympathy was mani
tested for him. When the jailer left
them he promised the wife that be
would observe her husband closely
and when he came again would bring
her another message-that is. if John
had any to send.
The next message the jailer brought
Mrs. Bounce vas my jailer thinks
me insane. He never was more mis-
taken in his life. Wings are now
growing on my shoulders. By the
first day Of the month they will be
fully grown. and then I shall fly up
the chimney and return to you and
our children"
When Mrs. Bounce received this
message she walled louder than ever.
declaring that the cruel treatment her
husband was receiving. he being in.
generated in a cell. was making his
condition worse every day. The jailel
assured her that her husband was not
in a cell. but in a room by himself. in
which there was an old fashioned
large chimney giving fine ventilation.
But she refused to be comforted.
AS soon as the jailer had departed
Mrs. Bounce went out and bought sew
eral ladders, besides fifty feet of stout
rope. and put them in her cellar. Or
the night of the last day Of the month
she hitched the family horse to The
wagon. put the ladders and the rope
in it and set out for the Jail. She
timed her starting to reach her desti
nation at midnight, and, stopping 8
short distance from the building tina
stood by itself, she carried the ladders
to the wall that surrounded it. Placing
n ladder against the wall. she mount
ed it. and. selecting another that would
reach from the wall to the roof Of tn,
Jail. with the coil Of rope on her arm
she climbed on to the roof and. .goins
to a large chimney. let one end Of tn,
rope fall with a thud on the hearth
below. John. who was on the watch
heard it and. Selling it. tied it around
his body under his arms. Then, jerk
ing it for a signal. Mrs. Bounce bega1
to pull.
The chimney was not large enough
to enable John to help himself, bu'
his wife was a strong as we'll as {
shrewd woman. and by dint Of hare
pulling she got him up. and. scram
bling to the wall and to the GROUND
outside, they took the ladders and tn,
rope with them and drove away.
The next morning Mrs. Bounce tolt
the neighbors that her poor de)udet
husband had appeared at home durin,