The Pulaskian., 1920-02-27
ALL FOR FREEDOM
Desperate Chances 10 EscaDe
Taken by Prisoners.
Even When Almost Certain Death !.
Faced, convicts Have Been
Known to Go On With
Their Efforts.

Pepper got his cognomen from n.
method of highway robbery. WALKING
along the street in the evening. he ear
ried an unlighted pipe between bis
teeth. When. in some lonesome snot
he saw pedestrian stop TO ligbt :
cigar, Pepper would accost him. asking
him e hold the match" When tbo
fellow traveller obliged, Pepper. instead
of lighting his innocent-looking nine
turned it toward the eyes of his vic.
tim, and blew hard. The pipe was ~
special construction and filled with red
pepper. The victim. blinded h- tbiS
horrible assault, could do nothing to
defend himself until relieved of his
valuables.
With two terms already behind him
Pepper was sent to- Clinton. There ba.
Immediately began to plan an eScape.
and in his plans exhibited great eIey.
erness.
He worked in the clothing shop of
the prison. One piece at a time, work
Ing over a period of eight months. Pen.
per stole complete civilian outft
from the shop. The, ensemble he hid
in his pillow.
Banging his way loudly, Pepper
made for the warden's office. Without
even knocking he stumbled in. The
warden happened to- be very busy at
the moment, but this did not deter
Pepper I've come to sell you some.
meatm he declared eonfdentially.
Sergeant" bawled the warden.
take this ID pest and throw him,
out! He's bothering met" The SER
geant came in and removed the OBJ
streperous meat seller. dumping him
outside the gates with force and relish.
1t was not until Pepper was across the
20 intervening miles to Canada that he
really allowed himself a good laugh.
Pepper stayed out of the clutches of
the law until five years later, when he
was foolish enough to return to New
York.
At the same prison great courage
enabled another break-out
Near the prison laundry stood an
empty barrel. Taking the bottom out
Of this. four prisoners took turns at
tunneling.
After two weeks of intermittent
work they reached the wall and exea-
waited small chamber there for work
ing purposes.
Finally one Of the huge slabs was
ioosened and worked forward to a
point where It was almost about to
topple into the excavation.
Here a terrible difficulty became APP
parent It would be perfectly simple
to release the slab. but the second 1t
came out it would crush beyond reeog-
milton the man working in the excava-
ton. The men talked 1t over grayely
and decided that one of the number
must be sacrificed that the other three
might escape.
They drew straws. BY ironic chance
G., the one of the four with more
than an ordinary reason for escape,
drew the shortest straw. His was the
assignment. One of the others, pro-
claiming himself unattached, offered
~ AtAht IAS Bi01S- Odt ~ ASANS~N
In the few seconds after his election
he had formulated a scheme that
might give him something of chance
to escape the slab when it fell.
He took down a short piece of plank.
This was insufficient TO stop the rush
of the big stone, but he thought that.
in breaking, the wood probably weud
delay the fall long enough TO permit
him TO squirm out of the way. Prop
ping it in place. he grimly worked the
slab until it gave way.
1t struck the plank, breaking IT,
Jumping back. c. endeavored TO-
get out of the way. He succeeded
except for his right hand. This was
mashed until it was scarcely recog-
nizable as a member. Gritting his
].teeth. he made no. cutlery. however
F., but turned to the work that yet re-
mained-E. T. Bronedon. in Popular
! Mechanics Magazine.