Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-03-04
ALL FOR FREEDOM
Desperate Chances to Escape
Taken by Prisoners.
Even When Almost Certain Death Is
Faced, convicts Have Been
Known to Go On With
Their Efforts.


method of highway robbery. Walking
Ialong the street in the evening, he car
Iried an unlighted pipe between his
teeth. When, in some lonesome spot,
he saw a pedestrian stop to light a
Icigar, Pepper would accost him, asking
him to hold the match" When the
fellow traveller obliged, Pepper, instead
Iof lighting his innocent-looking pipe,
turned it toward the eyes Of his vic
tim, and blew hard. The pipe was of
special construction and filed with red
pepper. The victim, blinded by this
horrible assault, could do nothing to
defend himself until relieved of his
%fvaluables.
With two terms already behind him,
Pepper was sent to Clinton. There he
Immediately began to plan an escape,
and In his plans exhibited great clev-
erneSs.
He worked in the clothing shop of
the prison. One piece at a time, work
ing owe a period of eight months, Pep
per stole a complete civilian outfit
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
meat" he declared c%onfidentially.
Sergeant" bawled the warden,
stake this ID pest and throw him
out! He's %bothering me!' The SER
geant came in and removed the OBJ
streperous meat seller, dumping him
outside the gates with force and relish.
II 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 exca-
waited a small chamber there for work
ing purposes.
Finally one Of the huge slabs was
loosened, and worked forward to a
point where it was almost about to
topple into the excavation.
} Here a terrible difficulty became ap-
parent. It would be perfectly simple
to release the slab, but the second it
came out it would crush beyond recog-
milton the a working In the cav
ton. The men talked it over gravely
and decided that n of the number
must be sacrificed that the other three
might escape.
They drew straws. By ironic chance
c., the n 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
to take his place, but c. refused.
In the few seconds after his election
he had formulated a scheme that
might give him something Of a chance
to escape the slab when 1t 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 would
delay the fall long enough to permit
him to squirm out Of the way. Prop
ping 1t in place, he grimly worked the
slab until 1t 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 1t was scarcely recog-
nizable as a member. Gritting his
teeth, he made no cutlery, however,
but turned to the work that yet re-
mained.-E. T. B%ronedon, in Popular