The Washington herald., 1914-01-11

fellow prisoners. particularly after light,
out at night.
He was brought to the bar charged
with having disturbed the peace. and
also with having taken a bath.
There was much amusement manifested
over the arguments. especially for the de.
Tense. which solemnly put in evidence
that the prisoner had not even washed
his face since coming into LIBBY.
Other amusements were storytelling
defamation and '-sky-larking'' after
lights were out at night. The latter
shocked some OF the Europeans who were
among the prisoners-for the Federal
army had attracted many officers who
had been trained to Old World ideas OF
military dignity.
"A stranger passing Libby at night.
wrote a Polish oficer in his reminis-
cences. might have imagined himself to
be near a lunatic asylum or a mena-
gerie You could hear a thousand
variations of lights OUT in which seemed
to be blended all the voices Of animated
nature. now and then interrupted by the
shrill cry OF a frightened negro woman.
When this noise had subsided the time
for action arrived. and one heard In the
dark the hurting Of missiles in the shape
Of driedup bread crusts and old books"
Music was a never-failine solace, and
the comic song followed close upon senti-
mental pieces as do They Think Of Ne
at Homer and who VIII Care for
Mother Now?" As the holiday season
came on the unsteady gifted among the
prisoners had rehearsed a minstrel show.
which they gave on Christmas Eve.
Work and Play.
One number Of the Libby Chronicle con-
tanned a notice Of "A Bone Fair" at
which all who desired to exhibit their
worked bones will have an opportunity
to do So"
Many of the prisoners had occupied
their tagging hours by shaping ornaments
from beef bones.
"A penknife was made to do the duty of
a complete set of tools" wrote one pris-
oner. land II was marvellous to see the
wonders achieved by that single instru-
ment@ Bone work Of strange device and
carving most elaborate, chess men,
spoons. pipes, all manner Of articles use
full and ornamental, were fashioned by
its aid alone
Chess was one of the standard games
in Libby Prison, and some of the pris-
oners who could not play well spent
hours watching . game between two ex-
pert players. One OF the prisoners, Capt.
liable to beat any one IN Libby with his
back to the board, ordering the moves to
be made by q third party"
OF less refined amusements some were
popular. notably poker and
''seven-up." Betting ran high, but the
bets involved neither loss nor gain, for
few Of the players had anything to stake
and sometimes the winner OF countless
sums could be seen going about the
prison endeayoring to borrow a spoonful
Of salt or pinch Of pepper"
Even the games Of children. such as
jack-straws and mumble-peE, that would
have seemed trivial enough to those men
when they were at liberty. served to
hasten the slow hours along.
But amid all these various occupa-
tions.' wrote an inmate in his reminis-
cences. there was one that took prece-
dence and absorbed all others-that of
planning to escape. The exploits of Jack
Sheppard and Baron Trenck ana the hero
Of Monte Cristo were seriously consid.
cred and plans superior to theirs concoct-
ed; some Of them characterized by skill
and cunning; others by the energy Of de-
spair."
Indeed. while the majority Of the LOO
and odd prisoners In Libby fifty years
ago today were seeking to while away
the heavy hours with games and study, .
few OF their fellow prisoners, secretly en-
gagged In burrowing through the earth at
the east end Of the prison. were making
slow progress on a tunnel by which they
hoped to accomplish a wholesale escape
Of the unfortunates confined beneath the
Did warehouse roof.
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