American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-10-05

After the diggers left each night the
guard would inspect the hole to de-
termine just what progress had been
made and report to the commanding
officers.
The first hole had been driven about
four feet when the diggers encountered
a mass of boulders, such as the earth
around the fort is filled with. and
their work came to stop. They
started another tunnel near by in an
effort to get around the boulders
This tunnel was driven about eight
feet Another mass Of boulders was
encountered.
This was discovered Wednesday
morning when an inspection of the
tunnel was made after the diggers had
quit. Colonel Byram decided it was
time to call halt.
Summoned by Colonel.
About noon Wednesday the colone
and his officers went into the alien
! enemy section of the camp and sum
moued all the civilian prisoners be
/ fore him. When he had them lined
| up he looked them over. then, with q
smile. remarked: Pretty hard dig
ging in this ground. isn't it? Full OF
hard bOulders.' Ii O bomb had burst
above their heads the effect upon the
/ prisoners could not have been more
startling Some OF the men looked at
each other in blank amaZemenr, then
/ huug their heads in sheepish chagrin
Without further ado the colonel in
formed the men that their every move
had been watched and noted from the
time they dug the first shovelfull of
earth.
Some Of the prisoners remarked that
there must have been "a stool pigeon
among the crowd
There didn't need 10 be a stool
pigeon the conouel assured them. and
asked the prisoners to follow him. He
marched the crowd TO a certain posi-
ton just south of the barracks under
which they had been digging.
Now look under that barracks. %
said the cononel
The men looked I'll be -."
was the exclamation that came from
their lips as they gazed al the mouth
of the tunnel and the scattered earth
that could be seen at plain as day
Make Free Admission.
It's no use for you to try that
scheme" admonished the colonel with
smile. You see your work was as
open and plain as daylight You have
discovered that the ground is filled
with big bOulders. so it is no use TO
try it. You would have to dig at least
400 feet to get outside the fence-and
through that sort of earth. l tell you
it is a hopeless task, and besides you
would take a chance on bullets when
you got out"
The prisoners admitted they had ex-
pected to take a chance on the bullets,
but hadn't expected to encounter the
sort of rocky earth they did. The col
onel asked them how they expected to
get away even though they got outside
the fence. He called attention to the
fact that they had already seen the
efficiency of the secret service OF the
United States through landing in pris
on and assured them that even die
they get out they couldn't hope TO es-
cape the vigilant eye of the secret ser
vice.
The colonel pointed out to them thai
they couldn't expect TO go to Canada
for they would get into trouble prompt
ly there. and that it was a long, hare
and tedious route to Mexico, without
one chance in hundred for any one
OF them to make it,
You are getting good treatment
here" observed the colonel, have
plenty to eat, a good place to sleep
are being we'll cared for and no dang
/ ers or worries to combat, so why hum
J trouble by trying to get out to trou
: ble?"
j In very sheepish and penitent mier
2 the prisoners admitted the logic o.
} the coloneis argument and confessed
that they had had their lesson.
2 4 am not worried about their max
= ing another attempt of this sort wai
2 the observation of the colonel after
ward
The civilian alien enemies cOnfine,
S in the section from which the attemp
2 was made TO tunnel out include abOu
e. seventy-five men gathered from al
parts of the west as dangerous enemie
e to the United States government
I Most of them were picked up for ac
, tivities in the line of spies along IN,
[ Mexican border from Texas to Lowe
California. Others were gathered il
5 from various points in California ant
@ some from the middle west. Some wer
D formerly connected with the German
= consular service in various part of tn
5 country and others were plain spies
!, in whose possession was found valu
:. able military and other information