The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7992, 1 December 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

UiE COLO.NKL'S CMMI^IiItNTS. Who the colonel was ami h(»w he cattKi to into a State prison on 1 -\ ear sentmct' are po nis I shall H'.r di>cuss. Thw are a nuu Inr oi who <ttd ncl <n'lie\e )iiin gailtj oi the crime nllegvd. \\f believed thai at lost two of th' witnvsses against hm had committed and to our way oi thinking thviv We oDut circmnstances in his favour, and So we, naturally came jtogiHher in an of- »• it to tit least mitigate his iinprisimuKiit. I don't think anyoiio of us had an idea beyond that at our lirst mcetiug. We were going to vise meney and 'influcticc to secure -him the favour of the prison ollicials. If you think dvis cannot he tlune. ihetiyon ; i-? ignorant of what g«**> on In-hind i'rison bars. h was at this first meeting that s tiieonc asked why. ii imm-y could mitigate the severity at prison discipline. it ; would not buy a convict s t -cape. It' was « stariliirg <pier\. and I hedivvc even the n.an who put ■ I turnvd a shade jraler as he real-is-d its significance. Ue shook our heads ui lirst. Then we began to turn the matter over in ouf nriixis. In a tiniKl, hesitating way soiucoui' suggested! a plan, tmd Mu rest of us K>ck it up gingerly. We hatl come »to our third meeting • ef re we dai\vl s|n\ik out frankly. The plan as developed was lo ii*s rt t»v hribt*r>* pun* and simple. '! ke hatl been in prison si> feonths, ami had lavn maile a 'tin* la ether words. i,e was a mi> s- ir*er who had tin* frivdoiu of th« : ard. In Iwng from simp ii s'iop he nwir the gates. huring ih\» day these gati-s v.ei .d*»md many tinns to gi\e inirrec <r to itaios. A guard wit' 1- -..Vd rifle stocd ihiTc, and then we|-.« other guaids- on (he wall Icte. A prisoner who should make « b. It of it would |*» sh«»t down a' i ;c.». The idL*a with us was to brJdie gfltc guard to let the colon--ptr-s on ftdoaJ oi (hail's gian'i out ; Ihe man haulii>g awa> di>- chairf. r shlpim iit was o ir«v m<iti. am. j lie must be *brib»<d. Th.- man win j

always Accotitpnnitil him to assist it. !».«» unloading at the drpot was i<t »\iet, hut one of the ol*l«-st tins i'-s about the institution. Ih mus ; <• lixwl. Here* won* three m«» !,«• v.r» over. n»d rut'- of thrill a pn«m m" ; Vial. if icould In- wvn tin-. \\«»uVd stcutly insist thai ih<- :t?Ta .:<» *>IT so that th«'\ shouui i:«.t it, c< We had *o move slou • and cam ioish in tlw !•>«•'t.i Th. « e was in pUnty to di ifli. hut IhiTr was n« «il of diphiitiicy as well. i li«« fll-Sl Hiiil) Id !,.• u..;i o\fr Ha :!,• g-ato gmtid. The ili.sr-ipjine w« i «h thai ilit" giiarrN weiv chuugvt! i-\rry other day. hut the rhiini!'' ua.- « i:'> iK'twivn two men. One was i s eje man. the other morri.fi. W»- selected the latit-r. w« him to he h's?» \ieldim; than : !i•* foriiH-r. As a nrrtr «>f f'ami.y. v ih hfs bn-ml ami ftuiur nt stake. I - <,\i;ii!il vitlur Utn»\ us once iii Impis '<i make liiinseh more so] i'i with th-e nunlor. <»r Hi* would • *Mfi anr| think it u\.r aid . nd l>\ ia' iiijj our brihe. nur line ol' w.i- rom-ct !! ■ hlufTed a l/it. iiii'l th'Mi t»think it over. am! a w s our man. \ie had litl tr«.iihi«> wtih thi ilrivrr. I To was also a married man mm- his w fe had gone tvi-st ami in wanted to join her an<l In; ,1 mem it "as solely «*i 'inn ■ pride w\h hi»n. It wns for him to over his ini-ty. ami that was soon accom j'iishrtl. When we had our men sei i;if the plan was this : I he colonel was to he passed out in place of the trust*, who was t«j • r»;:o*al himself for at hast half r* x\ »\. The colonel' would eo out ;l i ioif- o'cltK.'k in th«- inorning. and the I. . .I \v«>i»Y«i U» driv.-M straight to lii- ilepot a mihi away. In tl,.

weight sheds would be ]secured a Mlit of rh i/.-ll's «;|(illlcs. 21 false Wig. and whiskers. and the colnuel wouid make the changv ii> |as possible. Ih* would then proceed on - foot to a ri-rtiiin sin-,-) n>ni,T, and I here lind a h'»rs. and buggy awaiting i'tiiu lie would di i\v across the <" a ili.-viof iift'ii miles, ami tin n jjn into holing with a Jaruier who hud lni*h to|<| a story to pass muster. After a 'couple oi w.i'Us \\i' would !)«• able to gel Hi 111 out of the country. \\■■ went owr our plan a do/.mi times. liut could tiud no weak spot in it. Iti was to work. and i 1-1 mi- say dial it did work. There | «,h no i>iti;ii —no IVtnufcl. Tin' 1 t-hini: went of'i* as it timed by ilk* Iwaich til. prison !«.- had almusi n-ach <l liis j lii.iJu-piac-' I! miles away. I I sa.\ I hat in plan «" :* r worked ] sjno.*h. r. limi iij I \ up tu a curiam

point. I l.ai point was at the \ery •i d .1 i' In driving aii ng «ui du hist mile of ;i:e road n a<h. «| a spot wh-ii- the highway separatid and : around a mas- ~f rock, leaving' aP. island in the centre. It .was only jt-.-f across this strip, and Sn foe I I (low i< »h«* road and the two roads j 1 .1 aim* "ho again | A \oiit;g woman had been 'lo tllC !\i.lau»* to make -uiiit' purchases. and in n-ltiMiini: will) her horse and buggy some part ( i th* harness yave wa v. She was out on her f«vt tnakv li'-n die' colonel caine along. Ib* was int on her side of the is. iiii.i. air*l he had liberty al stake, hut he was a l»«»n duan in his way. lb-re was a damsel in distress. awl he could not pass without offering h> r his assistance. I It* i<*fl (he j z\ and crossed o\er. and -bowing like a ca\alL't" <»f old. sard : •I-'air lady. J observe that you t*.V I assistance.; I shall be flatten d if allowed to oiler if."

He had forgotten his false wig gird whiskers, which were [easy t<» be spoil.-d at closr- range; also the fact that he was talking In die unromanlic daughter of a hard-headed farm, she took h,m for a brigand instead of a kni-rhl. and l.vgsin t <*s scream. Uetwtvn her scr.ams the roloiie! uunage.l lr compliment her or h. r looks. and admitted that his heart . had bivu irurhed a' first sight. ami in dii'owing rne rompliH.ent ult-.T another he giadually goi nearer. The dauis-'l in distress was {«•<> I'rightviutl to run away, but slw Aas not too frightviied to think of ,«sistentv. The colonel certainly- did 'i>()k tough in his disguise, and his ,ed'iclive v»iitv couldn't make up loi I. The weapon h-uidiest to the girl was a lolde i-l household am.inwnii •\ n th«' htig.'iy r.JJ. She grab d iK and liurb-d i* in 'the (l ,l,aiel's stnaslnd a' die impaet. an. he n\t mo;;:.-,n (here was a how' o i,r Ivavd a utile a'.wiy. It w.;s all ov.-r with the colt.lie! !•• w_;s blinded atvil burn..l an I I'ied.aud lie rolled al-oiii on th< • roiif d. whll" th- girl ran lo th. .* ■ t e-t hoii>- and brought back . farmer -arm.si with a phclu'ork. Voti hour.- later th - \,d..iiel was I ..ck ' •M-Uotj at.d o\ the hospital. ;,t..1 i was months before his «>vesit«ht wa.I i->tor.d. V»e h«s sjH'itt moiidis in p-annite." nl had p-iid out thousands of do' \et the colonel lia.l broiiid'' a'l to. nnuuht by hi« callniiiry. He ;> iii)priso', \.-t. I i|o not thiidT t.m an.v m.-t.' tliau I d > win n h- was lirsi incarcerated, bn ii >. ii pivss m- to say w hat f th:.;' I will promptly answer that Mhin' him an ass.