Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25

for taking the fugitive without asserting to
his terms; but the same objection arose to
each of these schemes, the probability that
Barker would carry out his threat to the
letter and kill his prisoner. Only one course
seemed to have any possibility of success.
This was to sit tight and starve out the con-
vict. But in all probability this would fail.
since Barker would undoubtedly survive the
cook in a prolonged fast.
But here again Barker frustrated such a
plan. Suspecting what might be attempted.
he called to the guards and demanded food,
and the cook begged his friends to send him
some water. Refusal OF this request. Barker
said, meant violence and torture worse than
death to the prisoner. In desperation the
besiegers granted the request. the supplies
being passed in through an auger hole that
Barker allowed to be bored in the door while
he held the point OF his knife at his prison
erS throat to assure no trlckery.
When good supply had been passed in
Barker coollv informed the men outside that
they had defeated themselves, as he had no
intention of giving any of the food or water
to the prisoner. If 1t was to be starve-out
game. there would be no question now as to
which of the prisoners would survive.
All this time the cook means could be
heard. and his entreaties that Bankers de-
mands be granted. His sufferings from his
bonds were rapidly sapping his strength, and
for aught his friends knew to the contrary
he might be dying from the injuries he had
received. In this predicament one of the
officers, seeing no other way OF saving the
poor fellows life, sent word to Barker that
his demands would be granted if he sur
rendered at once. To this Barker replied
that he would take no mans word but that
IS -,
was a dilemma The superintendent was
several hundred miles away. When this was
explained to the captive by the assistant he
was laughed at and not believed.
Al this stage one OF the medical officers
suggested squirting quantity of chloro-
form through the auger hole, waiting few
seconds for it to overcome the prisoners, and
then to batter down the door, drag them out
and resuscitate them. The danger of this
of course lay in the possibility that both
men would be asphyxiated beyond resusci-
tation. But the desperate situation de-
manded desperate measures, and it was
finally decided to attempt it.
OF course no intimation of this was al
lowed to reach Barker. and his suspicious
were allayed during the preliminary prepa-
rations by the information that the superin-
leIlue1lt Ildu DeeIl sent Iof ana WOulu arrive
shortly. Meanwhile heavy beam to act as
battering ram was secured and manned
by four strong attendants, large syringe
filled with chloroform requisitioned and APP
paratus for resuscitating placed close at
hand. When all was ready the men took
their places before the door. Then full
pint of chloroform was shot into the room.
There was smothered oath, the ring of
a knife striking against the cement floor, the
scuff1ing of a man staggering blindly about the
room, gasping and choking, and finally fall
ing, and then all was quiet. In a moment
the crash of the battering ram shivered the
door, and the next instant two limp and mo-
tionless bodies were dragged into the open
air by men with handl1erchiefs tied round
their faces. They were soon revived.
The following day every knife in the kitch-
en- was securely chained in its proper place.
A month later they were still chained; but
the chains were beginning to be looked upon
as an intolerable nuisance by the cooks.
Within year every chain had disappeared.
Some day there will be another tragedy in
that kitchen. And then the temporary
claiming will be repeated
TN SrcuT nE DENITrNTTA AVN >D.,,Y