The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-10-21
An Ingenious
Escape
By OSCAR cox

a machine shop. From there he was
taken into the army and participated
In the fighting that led up to the bat
tie of the Marine. In that fight he was
taken prisoner and sent to a concen-
tration camp In Germany.
Jules Chaparal was turned into an
improved machine shop for manufac-
turing field artillery. Very soon his
experience in such work manifested it.
self. and. being found to be very use
full. he was put In charge of one of the
rooms of the factory. Then the engi-
neer was taken ill. and. there being no
German 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
and naturally became acquainted with
all parts of 1t. including the yard in
which it stood. the positions of senti.
nels, the points of entrance and exit.
for it 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
did not take note of his surroundings
with n view to escape.
The factory. not being a 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 disa bled soldiers
Jules had had opportunities to notice
them and had seen one legged men
among them. He had once run against
one of the guard. who was off duty.
walking in the factory yard. and it was
evident that the man was half blind.
If Jules could get out of the factory
after dark lie 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
huts built near by. the prisoners by
themselves. under guard. and all was
quiet.
Chaparal had his eve on a means of
making an exit from the factory. A
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 a 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 6ashed against the wall and kill.
ed. To do it when the engine was
starting or slowing up would he 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 feet from the
factory was the chain of sentinelS, or
course the chances of escape by such
an exit were enthusiastically small. and
ever If the fugitive should reach the
window in safety and pass the guard
there would remain the difficulty OF
making his way through Germany ana
across the border.
For a prisoner even TO occupy his
mind with such matters is benehcial.
IL prevents his brooding. and he Is
buoyed by hope. Jules found relief In
LAYING out every detail of an attempt
to escape. These details were many
and must fit together perfectly. and
when they were all arranged he must
keel a sharp lookout for an opportu
nifty of which it might be well to take
advantage without deliheration
He had thought ont his scheme and
had waited a month for his opportu
nifty when it came upon him suddenly.
An accident occurred in II room next
the engine room just as the shutting
, down hour arrived Every man ran
to the scene of the trouble, Jules turn
ed off the steam from the engine. wait
ed the feared that some one would en-
teri till the hywheel had slowed down
sufficiently. leaped on the belt, grasped
an edge I'm each hand and WAS carried
on his knees up to the On
reaching it he threw himself at it.
landing on his chest. and scrambled on
10 its sill.
Without CHANGING 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 was on the
ground.
Thus far he had not been observed
or heard. lie now needed TO pass the
guard. A faint twilight fingered in the
west. and against il he saw the sill
houettes of two sentries some fifty feet
apart. He resolved to make an effort
to era wi between them Advancing
ON foot as far as he dared. he got down
on his stomach and %wriggled like a