The Washington herald., 1914-02-09


,e.)
ter. Rose and Hamilton were ready to
leave the prison. The tunnel was theirs.
and they had the right to 20 first. But
they did not 20. The others were not
ready; they had not saved food for a
journey. So Rose and Hamilton agreed
to walt for them until that evening.
Suspense, Then Freedom.
The suspense of that day to the fifteen
men who had dug the tunnel was beyond
conception. That night. soon after z,
when the lights were out, they went to
the kitchen to pass for the last time
through the opening in the chimney.
1t was agreed that each of the fifteen
should be permitted to tell friend of
the tunnel and that a second party Of
fifteen should follow the first after an
interval of one hour.
To Col. II. c. Hobart, of the Twenty
first Wisconsin Regiment, was assigned
the duty OF seeing that the second party
left the prison as arranged.
Instructions for getting through the
passage in the chimney were as fellows:
Feet first: back to the wall; get down on
your knees; make half-face TO the
right and grasp the spike in the wall be-
low your right hand: lower yourself
down; feel for the knotted rope below
your legs.
The first party passed down to the eel
lar and no man started through the tun-
mel until all were there. Gel. Rose was
the last man to go down the chimney,
after clasping the hand of Col. Hobart in
good-by.
In the cellar he was first, by common
consent. to pass through the tunnel
Hamilton was second. Then followed
the other Is. until all were assembled in
the shed. Then in groups of two or
three, with a few minutes interval be-
tween each, the escaped prisoners slipped
out OF the gate under the arch and took
their way past a gaslight and within
fifty feet Of a sentry into the streets Of
Richmond. Nearly all wore citizen dress
and army overcoats. The coats would
attract little attention, as the guards
wore Federal coats as well
At the appointed time the second party
started to leave the kitchen. but their
secret could not be kept. and before all
were gone the great news of the tunnel
had swept like an electric shock through
the sleeping prison. Men sprang from
the hard floor and rushed wildly to the
kitchen. In a few minutes more than 300
were pressing about the fireplace, silently
struggling in the dark for a chance to
descend to the cellar.
ine s.eho eh~' io"o"ou uessars oe-
scrip'iOn: ~ro.e one Oh 'neir NUMBER
..nS.n whn , r.w ,,or,oA. h.for
in meekest submission and utter despair
became frenzied demons at the bright
hope of deliverance from a living hell
THE great mass of prisoners surged
and sxayed forward and backward. With
fighting, cursing, muttering, tearing each
other away from the entrance Of the
chimney, the awful scene OF demoniacal
confusion went on. Reason and all the
higher attributes OF humanity were de-
throned.
Men with superhuman strength backed
themselves against the walls and knock
ed senseless all who approached, until
they felt that they could escape; but
attempting It were caught as they vainiy
tried to descend, and were dragged up
and out upon the floor and trampled
upon until they were no more able to
stand
This awful struggle. strange as 1t may
appear passed without attracting the at
tention OF the guards, who all the while
prison walls. But an alarm was raised
that the guards were coming. and there
was a general rush Tor the stairs The
guards did not come IN. and. the con-
geston temporarily relieved, men con-
tinued 10 crop into the cellar and grope
their way through the tunnel
Guards Sing "All Il wen.o
IT.. ,,,.. s -. -.,.,,-
a,rL "a as ~. $1,000 sN
emerged from the tunnel their forms
could be dimly seen by anxious friends
who were watching them from the prison
WipdnWa