s of several beds were torn into strips, and the
strips were plaited into a strong rope nearly thirty feet in length. A
strong iron rod, used for stirring the fires in the stoves, was
converted into a hook, and the rope was attached to it. Rope and hook
were taken down into the air-chamber, where all the "valuables" were
stored.

General Morgan had managed to get a suit of citizen's clothing, and the
six men who were going to escape with him, were similarly provided. The
Warden had prohibited the introduction into the prison of uniform
clothing, but occasionally allowed plain suits to be received. The
General had also gotten a card of the schedule time on the Little Miami
Railroad, and knew when the train left Columbus, and when it arrived in
Cincinnati--for this he paid fifteen dollars, the only money used in
effecting his escape.

Despite the strict search instituted, when we first entered the
penitentiary, several of the party had managed to secrete money so that
it was not found. This was now divided among the seven who were to
escape. These were, besides General Morgan, Captains Thomas H. Hines,
Ralph Sheldon, Sam Taylor, Jacob Bennett, James Hockersmith, and
Gustavus McGee. It is plain that, as each man was locked in a separate
cell, and could not get out of it by the door, without an interview with
the night-guard, it was necessary to cut an opening into the
air-chamber, through the floor of each cell, from which each one of the
seven would escape. If these apertures were cut from the top of the
floors of the cells, the risk of detection would be proportionally
increased; so an accurate measurement of the distance between the cells
was taken, and with Hines' cell as a point of departure, it was easy to
calculate where to commence cutting from _underneath_, in order that the
floors of all these particular cells should be perforated. A thin crust,
only, of the cement was left, but to all outward appearance, the floor
was as sound as ever.

By means of an arrangement which had been perfected for obtaining all
absolutely necessary articles, each one of the party about to escape had
procured a stout, sharp knife--very effective weapons in case of
surprise and an attempt to stop their escape. When every thing was
ready, they waited several nights for rain--trusting to elude the
vigilance of the guards more easily in the obscurity of such a
night--and taking the chance, also, that the dogs which were turned
loose ev