The Dickinson press., 1916-11-25
An Ingenious
Escape
BY OSCAR COX

't ~ w.
taken int" the :.r:;.y AND participated
III the lighting THAI le,i mp to the bat
tie Of the Alai:.r. - liltl light he was
taken prisoner aEI - 1t to u concen-
trat!On '::l.p IN Germany.
jules th"iarhi was turned into an
improved lI*s hiHr shop for manufac-
turing field artillery. Very soon his
experience in such work manifested it.
sell, and, being found to be very use
Iul. ne was put In charge Of one Of the
rooms or the factory. Then the engi-
neer was taken i'll. and. there being no
Germa engineer to fill his place, Jules
was temporarily given charge of the
engine room and everything in it..
Jules spent a year in this factory
II naturally became acquainted with
all parts Of 1t. including the yard in
which it stood, the positions of senti-
neis, the points Of entrance and exit.
Tor 1t Is impossible to take the pre-
cautions with one who fills an impor.
tant position that can be observed
with an unproductive prisoner. Prob.
ably there was never a prisoner who
SNA AcI lNnC lolc a. HIS surroundings
with a view to escape.
The factory, not being n prison, was
not surrounded by a high wall. The
absence OF a wall was supplied by a
guard. But since every available man
was needed to fight the factory guard
was made up Of disabled soldiers.
Jules had had opportunities to notice
| fnpm and had Cfn,, 40, ,r. $1,000.
among them. Tie had once run against
one of the guard, who was off duty.
walking i'll the factory yard. and it was
evident that the man was half blind.
II Jules could get out Of the factory
after dark he might possibly work his
way through this barrier of armed
men. At any rate, he would be quite
willing to take his chances Of being
shot. But for months at a time the
factory was run day and night, and
there were as many persons about at
one time as another. When it was not
run at night, as soon as it was shut
down the operators were placed in
nuts built near by, the prisoners by
themselves. under guard. and all was
quiet.
Chaparal had his eye on a means of
making an exit from the factory. 4
broad leather belt connected the fly
wheel Of the engine with gearing at
tached to the joists overhead. The
drum around which the belt turned
was near q window, which was used
both for light and ventilation. 1t oc-
Cured to Chaparal that one might
ride up on the belt and jump off at the
window. To do this when the engine
was running at full speed would be
well nigh impossible without the rider
being dashed against the wall and KILL
ed. To do it when the engine was
starting or slowing up would be COM
paratively easy.
The prisoner had noticed this win
dow when in the yard and knew that
ten feet below it was the roof Of an
addition to the building. the addition
being about fifteen feet from the
ground. Two hundred feec from the
factory was the chain Of sentinels. OF
course the chances of escape by such
an exit were infinitesimally small. and
even If the fugitive should reach the
window in safety and pass the guard
there would remain the difficulty of
making his way through Germany and
across the border.
For a prisoner even to occupy his
mind with such matters is beneficial.
It prevents his brooding, ard he is
buoyed by hope. Jules found relief In
laying out every detail Of an attempt
to escape. These details were many
and must TT together perfectly. and
when they were all arranged he must
keep a sharp lookout for ar opportu-
nifty Of which it might be well TO take
advantage without deliberation.
He had thought out his scheme and
had waited a month for his opportu-
nifty when it came Upon him suddenly.
An accident occurred in a room mex
the engine room Just as the shutting
down hour arrived. Every mar ran
to the scene of the trouble. Jules turn
ed off the steam from the engine, wait
ed The feared thar some one would en-
teri till the nywhccl had slowed down
sufficiently. leapcd on the belt. grasped
an edge in each hand and WAS carried
on his knees up to the window. On
reaching it he threw himself ut it.
landing on his chest. and scrambled on
to its sill.
Without glancing back he turned his
feet outward and, lowering himself till
he hung by his hands, let himself down
on to the roof Of the addition below
and in another moment was on the
ground.
Thus far he had not been observed
or heard. He now needed to pass the
guard. A faint twilight fingered in the
west, and against it he saw the sill
houettes of two sentries some fifty feet
apart. He resolved to make an effort
to crawl between them. Advancing
or foot as far as he dared, he got down
on his stomach and wriggled like a
snake toward a point midway between
the sentries. He was in this danger.
@y,- Ia .-l~~- H.