The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-23
ESCAPE from the
GALLOW S
BY FELIX KOHN.

OUR men arrived at the prison
v without mishap. They were al
ready expected, and as soon a.
won Budberg" handed the enye-
lope to the gate-keeper, the sergeant
who was standing at the entrance
ordered in his stentorian voice:
"Open!"
The gate fell open. Won Bud
berg hurriedly assembled the
staircase and turned to the office;
the convoy stood at ease waiting
before the prison building. The
prison van, with the driver on
the box, standing near by.
"Yon Budberg'' motioned to the
keeper as hs mounted the LAST few
steps leading 70 the administration
Office.
Go and call the warden, and be
quick about it!''
He is already waiting for you
in his Office, your honour"
The Warden rose to see tbs
pseudo-captain.
"Is everything ready?"
"Qmte. Bring the prisoners" he
beloved to the sergeant stand
ing at some respectful distance TO
receive his orders.
The Warden hardly glanced at
the envelope delivered by Won
Budberg," He merely opened the
envelope to file the paper it con-
tanned, remarking to Won Bud
berg:
'His Excenency mas already tele-
phoned."
81 know all about that" was the
dry, curt reply of the captain"
ONE of our instructions to him
" was not to engage in CONVEX
sation beyond what was absolutely
necessary and to treat the whole
prison administration with the dis
dain and condescension TO be eX-
pected from a member of the arts
tocracy who comes into official con-
tact with a plebeian.
The Sergeant" ran into the Of
flee SOr some reason.
Nook alive there" Numbered
won Budberg."
The Sergeant" disappeared like
a flash of lightning.
1.-THE prisoners are being brought
out" the Warden said reaSsuringly.
SIS the paper certifying their
delivery to me ready?"
Eyes, your honor.
Give it to me-" He snatched the
paper out of his hands, and hear
ing the shuffling of numerous feet
on the stairs, went out into the
hall.
zone, two, three" He started TO
check the prisoners carefully.
'Do you wish them to be brought
into the Officer"
mot necessary. Take them
straight into the yard"
He returned to the Office for a
second. The Warden signed the
paper attesting to the delivery OF
the prisoners, while the captain
signed for the receipt Of the men.
WHILE these formalities were be-
w ing attended to within, the
convoy was drawn up In parallel
lines in the yard to form pas
sage from the outside stairs to the
van. The convicts were not taken
out all at once, but were led to
the van one by one at short inter-
walls in order to give them time to
settle in the van.
The men had been told that they
were being taken to execution, but
they had become SO accustomed to
the idea of imminent death that
the prospect of its immediate real
ization found them quite composed:
or their comparative calm may be
explained by the fact that they
preferred death to the agonizing
uncertainty of when to expect the
fatal moment-to the terrible sus-
pe1rse in which they had been
kept for days. They merely shot
hostile glances at the files of the
policemen" and quietly took their
places in the van.
Only Judycki, a pugnacious lad
full of fighting spirit, looked about
for some avenue of escape, to the
other side of the gate and to free
dom
But our sergeant" was up to the
mark.
Nov, what are you up tor
He seized Judycki roughly by the
shoulder and gave him q vicious
push towards the van.
(TO BE CONTINUED