River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-06-25

minimum Bill Hawkins proceeded
with bis task of making the suit OF
clothes for his companions getaway
with such caution that IL promised to
a whole year of work.
To steal the cloth. piece bv piece.
was no easy task. The eyes of the
guards were keen and there we're con.
v1cts who were suspected Of doing the
work of spies for the prison officials.
Every night for a month Bill reported
to Montgomery his efforts of the day.
and at the end OF that time he brought
under his blouse enough cloth for the
first section of the suit.
To cut 1t In the dimensions be had
riveted in his memory was even a
harder task. The greatest care was
taken TO prevent the theft of tools and
a missing pair of scissors would have
resulted in a search of the cells of all
thoe who worked In the cutting room.
He was compelled to cut the clotn
right under the noses of the guards
in the cutting room. THE Butcher
and idaho Shorty" sheltered him as
mucl1 as they could as he worked fur
lively and quickly, and. finally. after
two monrhs. the first piece OF the coat
was made. 1t was struggled into the
cell and slowed away in the mattress
of Bills bunk. Stolen needles and
thread were used 10 sew up the seams
Of the mattress again.
Montgomery could have stolen "a
sharp knife from the machine shop so
that Bill could work in the cell, but
the old burglar would not let him run
the risk Discovery of such a theft
would have meant the loss of disk
and chevr0nS and a transfer to some
other branch of prison work.
The second autumn in prison passed
into the second winter and Bill still
stuck to his task. Spring came and
all Of the pieces for the coat were
ready and in the cell. safely hidden
away, To assemble them Bill would
have to make every stitch by hand.
AT night, after the supper hour, the
two prisoners washed out their towels
and hung them on a piece of string In
their cell. Behind these the burglar
crouched as Montgomery watched at
the door He sewed until the lights
went out. but the work was slow ana
painful. He had no thimble, and one
finger after another was worked into
a pulpy condition. The making of the
coat took all summer, but Bill was so
interested in the task that he even
sewed in his bunk after the lights were
turned off, feeling every stitch In the
dark with raw fingers that spilled
blood. but with patience that never
tagged.
Another year was started, and the
coat was finished. Bill stole the cloth
for the trousers which would replace
the tubelike neither garments of the
prison uniform.
All the while No. GO, was perfect
ing himself in mechanical work. Soon
he was Informed that he would be the
man to succeed the convict foreman
when the latter was given his liberty.
AS foreman Of the shop Montgomery
would have a degree of liberty given to
few convicts On busy days he would
be exempt from roll calls, and when
the care of machinery required 1t he
could spend his evenings In the shop.
He would s%uperintend the acceptance
and assembling of all new machines
and parts of machines and the disposal
Of the old.
The coveted white disk remained on
his sleeve. and a new chevron was
added with each year.
We'll wait until you get the job as
foreman" Bill decided. when you
take charge and get the hang Of things.
then we can plan the way out An
other year or two Amt going to hurt
you. You want to get such a start.
once you're out, that they won't close
in OH you and drag you back, kid. It's
worth waiting for"
One day No. 60, 10S was called from
his task and given a lev blouse. On
the left sleeve was a clean white disk
and under it, where the chevrons had
been. a white star. This signifed that
be had served five years with perfect
conduct. That same day the convict
foreman went before the board of pa
role and was allowed time off due him
for his good marks shown on the pris-
on record. He was allowed a day for
every three marks, the total being sub
tracted from his sentence.
Montgomery became the foreman and
took charge Of the machine shop force.
He was now twenty-six years old and
had developed from a scrawny coun-
try boy into a we'll built and handsome
man. His eyes were grave and his
mien serious. He appeared to be well
beyond thirty years Of age.
During the early part Of this fifth
year Montgomery had begun to steel
himself for the news from home that
would tell him that his mothers life
was closed. She was hopelessly blind.
wrote Miss Wadhams, and was worn
to a shadow. He was ready for the
trial and knew that it was at hand
when a trusty brought him q black