The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-08-21
THE NEWS SHORT STORY

the messages FOR if my Interpretation
of the two words was correct had
seven letters. Surely that would he
quite enough 10 give me the others In
time. though ! remembered them inn
perfectly and needed TO hear them
again.
did not hear them again till the
next night but / heard other letters
and short words that added 10 my
knowledge OF the code. The letter /
was used quite often by itself, as was
the letter 4. Besides. when con-
versatlon was ended during the day
the last words We're two and / was
not long IN interpreting them as good
by This gave me nine letters, or
third Of the alphabet Within
few days / had il all but IL required
practice 10 read As 90 telegraphing
myself, | practiced AT sending message
10 myself by tapping with my finger
on the wall of my cell and soon be-
came quite proficient.
As soon as I could read readily ! de-
termined 10 take a hand in the diA-
lOgues. TWO men. both politicals, We're
communicating. the one "A young man
who had been sent 10 Siberia from a
university; the other had been impli-
Gated in conspiracy 10 assaSsinate a
minister Of police The latter was
much older than the former-at least
he talked more sedately-w the stu
dent was fun Of hope ana enthusiasm.
He was discussing with the other plans
for escape. which his correspondent
discouraged as impossible and would
only bring down more horror on those
who attempted them
The call signal learned at the out
set. II was three taps nj intervals till
the party 10 be called responded. When
I was sufficiently practiced 10 hold a
conversation l gave the signal A re-
ply came
what is ii, Paul?'
| made the reply myself ! said that
was "A political prisoner, a young girl;
that | had heard their conversations
over the pipe ana had interpreted their
code. / would he pleased to talk with
them when they We're not engaged
chatting with each other Paul, the
university man, asked me how long l
had been in learning the code and,
when | told him, complimented me on
my readiness. l asked him If he were
not afraid Of the prison authorities be-
coming aware that he was communi-
eating, to which he replied that the
prisoners all knew the hours when the
guards We're due and were careful 10
refrain from tapping when they came
round. He added that the latter were
"A stupid lot and if they heard the tap
ping and suspected code, could never
learn il as ] had done.
Doubtless the principal deterrent
from insanity among prisoners is plan
ming escapes. Paul, who, learned. was
in the cell directly below me, was full
of these plans. which he had been
proposing to Alexis, who was in the
cell above me. After l came into the
trio Paul consulted me rather than
Alexis as 10 the practicability of his
plans, but l had not been there long
enough TO have any knowledge OF the
prison or the habits of our guards and
could be of no use TO him. Neverthe-
less he finally laid a plan intended for
my escape, with the assistance OF the
other two, which Alexis pronounced
feasible, though not probable. No es-
cape could be made without bribing
the guard. and this could not be done
without his being able 10 make IL APP
pear that he was innocent. 4 woman,
Maria, had charge of the cells for the
woman prisoners, and l succeeded i'm
winning her sympathy Indeed, she
became So fond of me that she would
willingly aid me To get away provided
she should not suffer for negligence or
abetting me i'm my escape.
PaulS plan was for me 10 effect n
change of clothing with him. 10 pretend
illness, be sent 10 the hospital aud trust
to luck to get back into woman's attire
and go out as an unidentified prisoner
There seemed To be no way 10 carry
ont the initiatory part OF the plan until
] proposed TO do my clothes mp In a
bundle that could be put through the
window bars and let il down to Paul
on the floor below Then l would haul
up his clothes 10y the same mc3us I
could make cord ny tearing certain
articles of my clothing into strips.
We exchanged the clothing without
and the next morning when
Maria came around she found me in
mans dress. ! offered, if she would
help me- 10 send her a thousand rubles
from home This she declined, but
agreed TO assist me because she pitied
and loved me- though she would he
obliged 10 leave the prison and Kara
as well as II she did So She went
away, leaving my cell unlocked. l
agreeing to give her couple OF hours
10 get away. At the end of that time
! walked ont into the corridor till l
saw a iailer approaching, then fell on
the floor. Coming 10 NE. he picked me
NJ and. not knowing who | was. but
me to be ill, sent me to the
hospital. where ! was put to bed
The nurses were men. and | had no
20 appropriate a womans
clothes. But az midnight got out Of
bed in my nightclothes and went out
into the prison yard There was
picked up by an official and, being n