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TEK1 jr c .e " j AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. "aJ!L?'
Vol. VI. Ncsv Bloomfteld, Pn., Tuesday, Mnyl4,1872. No. SO.
ijc Ioomfiflb pints.
IS PUBLISH KU CVSRT TUESDAY MOKMNO, BT
; FEANS JiOETIMEE & CO.,
At New Bloomflcld, Tciry Co., Ta.
Bolnit provided with Steam Power, and large
Cylinder and .lob-Pres-ie, we are prepared
to do all kinds of Job-Printing In
good style and at Low Prices.
Two Escapes.
COtiCLODED.
ONLY two window looked out upon
the garden from the back of the guard
house. From one of thoso windows I had
just now let myself down, and the other was
partly shuttered up. 1 did . not dare, how
ever, openly to cross the garden. I drop
ped upon my face and crawled in the fur
rows between the rows of vegetables until
I came to the ditch. Hero the water rose
nearly to my waist, but the banks on cith
er side were considerably higher; and, by
stooping, I found that I could walk without
bringing my head to the level of the road.
I thus followed the course of the ditch for
some two or three hundred yHrds in the di
rection of Toulon, thinking that my pur
suers would be less likely to suspect me of
doubling back toward prison than of push,
ing forward toward the country. Half ly
ing, half crouching under the rank grasses
that fringed the bank above, I thou watched
the gathering shadows. By-and-by I heard
the evening gun; and, a minute after, some
thing like a distant sound of voices. Hark !
was that a shout? Unable to endure the
agony of suspense, I lifted my head and
peeped cautiously out. There were lights
moving in the windows of the guard-house,
there were dark figures in the garden,
there were hasty tramplings of feet on the
road above ! Presontly a light flashed over
the water only a few yards from my hiding-
place 1 I slid geutly down ut full length,
and suffered the foul ooze to close noiselessly
over me. Lying thus, I held my breath till
the very beatings in my heart seemed to
suffocate mo and the veins of my temples
were almost bursting. I could bear it no
longer I rose to the surface I breathed
again I looked I listened. All was dark
ness and silence. My pursuers wore gone
by ! '. . i ' . ', . i , .
I suffered an hour to go by, too, before 1
ventured to move again. By that time it
was intensely dark, and had begun to rain
heavily. The water in the ditch became
brawling torrent, through which I waded
unheard, past the very windows of a guard
house.'
After toiling through the water for
mile or more, I ventured out upon tbo road
again; and so, with the rain and wind beat
ing in my face, and the scattered boulders
tripping me up continually, I made my way
through the whole length of the winding
pass, and came out upon the more open
country about midnight. With no other
guide than tho wind, which was blowing
from the northeast, and without even
star toheln me, 1 then struck off to the
right, following what seemed to be a rough
by-road lying through a valley. By-and-by
the rain abated, and I discerned the dark
outline of chain of hills extending all
along to the left of the road. These, I con
cluded, must be the Maures. All was well
so far. I had taken the right direction,
and was on the way to Italy.
Excepting to sit down, now and then,
uy tue wayside, 1 never paused in my
flight all the night through. Fatigue and
want of food prevented me, it is true, from
walking very fast; but the love of liberty
was strong within me; and, by keeping
steadily on, I succeeded in placing about
eighteen miles between myself and
Toulon. At five o clock just a the day
began to dawn, I heard a peal of chimes,
and found that I was approaching a large
town. In order to avoid this town I was
forced to turn back for some distance, and
take to ie nuigiit. i lie sun nau now
risen, and I dared go no further: so, having
pulled some turnips in a field as I went
along, I took refuge in a little lonely copse,
In a hollow among the hills, and there lay
all day In safety. When night again closed
in I resumed my journey, keeping alwayi
among the mountains, and coming, now
and then, on grand glimpses of moon-lit
bays, and tranquil islands lying off the
shore; now and then, on pastoral hamlets
nestled up among the palmy heights, or
on promontories overgrown with the, cac
tus and the aloe. I rested all the accoud
day in a ruined shed at the bottom of a do
sorted sand-pit, and in the evening feeling
that I could no longer sustain life without
some fitting nourishment, made my way
own toward a tiny fishing village on the
coast below. It was quite dark by the
time I reached the level ground. I walk
ed boldly past the cottage of the fishermen,
meeting only an old woman and a Utile
child on the way, and knocked on the cure's
door. He opened it himself. I told my story
in a half dozen words. The good men be
lieved and pitied mo. He gave me food and
wine, an old handkerchief to wrap around
my head, an old coat' to replace my convict's
jacket, and two or three francs to help me
on my way. I parted from him with tears.
I walked all that night again, and all the
next, keeping somewhat close upon the
coast, and hiding among the cliffs during
the daytime. On the fifth morning, having
left Antibcs behind me during tho night's
march, I came to the banks of the Var,
crossed tbo torrent about half a mile below
the wooden bridge, plunged into the pine-
woods on the Sardinian side of the frontier,
and lay down to rest on Italian ground at
last t My story would be too long to give in
full all the details of how, though compar
atively safe, I still pursued my journey by
the least frequented ways how I bought a
file at the first hamlet to which I camo, and
freed myself from tho iron anklet how,
having lurkod about Nice till my hair and
beard had grown, I begged my way to Ge
noa how I worked my passage on board a
small trader from Genoa to Fumicino,
touching at all the ports along the coast
and how, coming slowly up the Tiber in a
barge laden with oil and wine, I landed,
one evening in March, on the Kipetta quay,
in Home. In so largo a city, and at so
great a distanco from the scene of my im
prisonment, I was personally safe. I might
hope to turn my talents and education to
account.
Outcast that I was, I slept that night un
der a dark arch near the theatre of Marcel
lus. The morning dawned upon a Glorious
clay, and I crept out shivering into the sun
shine. Lying crouching against a bit of
warm wall, I caught myself wondering
more than once how long it would be worth
while to endure the agonies of hunger,
and whether the brown waters of the Tiber
wero deep enough to drown a man. It
seemed hard to die so young. My future
might have been so ploasant, so honorable I
The rough life that I had been leading of
late, too, had strengthened me in every way,
physically and mentally. I had grown taller.
My muscles were mora developed. I was
twice as active as energetic, as resolute, as
had been a year before. And of what
use were these things tome? I must die,
and they could only serve to mako me die
the harder.
I got up and wandored about the streets,
as I had wandered the day before. Once
I asked fur alms, and was repulsed. I fol
lowed mechanioally in the stream of car
riages and foot-passengers, and found my
self, by-and-by, in the midst of the orowd
that ebbs and flows continually about Bt.
Peters's during Easter week. Btupifled
and weary, I turned aside into the vestibule
of the Sagrestia, and cowered down in the
shelter of ' a doorway. Two gentlemen
were reading a printed paper wafered
against a pillar close by.
" Good heavens I" said one to the other,
" that a man should risk his neck for a few
pauls I"
" Ay, and with tue knowiouge that, out
of eighty workmen, as many as six or eight
are dashed to pieces evoiythne." added
his companion.
"Shocking 1 Why, that is an average of
teu per cent I"
" No less. It Is a desperate service."
" But a fine sight," said the first speaker,
philosophically; aud with this they walked
away.
X sprang to my ioet, and read tue pla
card with avidity. It was headed, "Illu
mination of Saint Peter's," and announced
that eighty workmen - being required for
the lighting of the dome and cupola, and
three hundred for the cornices, pillars, col
onnade, and so forth. In conclusion, It
stated that every workman employed on
the dome and cupola should receive in pay
ment a dinner and twenty-four pauls, the
wages of the rest being less than a third of
that sum. '
A desperate service, it was true; but I
was a desperate man. After all, I could
but die, and I might as well die after a
good dinner as from starvation. . I went at
onoe to the adminiiirator, was entered in
his list, received a oouplo of pauls as earn
est of the contract, and engaged to present
myself punctually at eleven o'clock on the
following morning. That evening J supped
at a street stall, and, for a few bajoocbt, ob
tained leave to sleep pn some straw in a
loft over a stable at the back of the Via del
Aroo.
At eleven o'clock on the morning of
Easter Sunday, April sixteonth, I found
myself, accordingly, in the midst of a crowd
of poor fellows, most of whom, I dare say
were as wretched as myself, waiting at the
door of administrator's office. As the clock
struck the hour, the folding-doors were
thrown open, and we passed in a crowd,
into a hall, where two long tables wero laid
for our accommodation. A couple of sen
tinels stood at the door; an usher marshall
ed us, standing, round tables, and a priest
read grace.
As he began to read, a strange sensation
came upon mo. I felt compelled to look
across the opposite table, and there yes,
by Heaven ! there I saw Gasparo 1
He was looking full at me, but bis eyes
dropped on meeting mino. I saw him turn
vividly white. The recollection of all he
had made mo suffer, and of the dastardly
blow he had dealt me on the day of our
flight, overpowered for tho moment even
my surprise at seeing him in this place.
Oh, that I might live to meet him yet, un
der the free sky, whero no priest was pray
ing, and no guards were by 1
Tho grace over, we sat down and fell to.
Not cvon anger had power to blunt the
edge of my appetite just then. I ate like a
famishing wolf, and so did most of the oth
ers. v e were allowed no wine, and the
doors were locked upon us, that we might
not procure any elsewhere. It was a wise
regulation, considering the task we had to
perform.
The dinner lasted long, and when no one
seemed disposed to eat more, the tables
were cleared. Most of the men threw
themselves, on the floor and benches and
went to sleep, Gasparo among the number.
Seeing this, I could lefrain no longer. I
wout over and stirred him roughly with my
foot.
" Gasparo I You know me !"
Ho looked up suddenly.
" Devil s mass ! I thought you were at
Toulon."
" It is not your fault that I am not at
Toulon ! Listen to me. If you and I sur
vive this night, you shall answer to me for
your treachery 1
He glared at me from under his deep
brows, and without replying, turned over
on his face again, as if to sleep.
".becoun maiadettoi" (There s an ac
cursed fellow !) said one of the others, with
a significant shrug, as I came away
"Do you know anything of.liim?"!
asked.
" Nothing, but that he is said to be
wolf and a blasphemer."
I could learn no more, so I also stretched
myself upon the floor, as far as possible
from my enemy, and in a very few moments
fell profoundly asleep. ' .
At seven, the guards roused those who
still slopt, and served each man with a small
mug of thin wine. We were then formed
into a double file, marched round by the
back of the cathedral, and conduoted , up
and Inclined plane to the roof below the
dome. From this point, a long series of
staircases and winding passages carried us
up between the double walls of the dome
and, at different stages in the ascent, a cer
tain number of us were detached and post
ed ready for work. I was dotachod about
half way up, and I saw Gasparo going
higher still. When we were all posted, the
superintendents came round and gave us
our instructions. At a given signal every
man was to pass out through the loop-hole
or window before which he was placed, and
seat himself astride upon a narrow shelf of
wood hanging to a strong rope just below,
1 ins rope came turougu tue window, was
wound round a roller, and secured from
within. At the next signal a lighted torch
was put in his right hand, and he was to
grasp the rope firmly with his left. At the
third slgnul the rope was to be unwound
from within by an assistant placed there for
the purpose, he was to be allowed to slide
rapidly down over the' curve of tho dome,
and, while thus, sliding, was to apply his
torch to every lamp he passed in his down
ward progress.
Having received these Instructions, we
waited, each man at his window, until the
first signal should be given.
It was fast getting dark, and the silver 11
lumination had been lighted since seven
All the great ribs of the dome, as fur as
oould see; all the cornices and friezes of the
facade below; all the columns aud parapets
of the great colonnade surrounding the pi
azza four hundred feet below, were traced
out in lines of paper lanterns, Jhe light
from wh ich, subdued by the paper, gleam
ed with a silvery fire which had a magical
and wonderous look. Between and among
these lantornonl were placed at different in
tervals all over the cathedral on the side
facing the piazza, iron cups, called pa&llo,
ready filled with tallow and turpentine. To
light those on the dome and cupola was the
the perilous task of the sunpietrlnl; when
they were all lighted, the golden iUumina-
tion would be effected.
A few moments of intense suspense
elapsed. At every second the evening grew
darker, the lantemoiii burned brighter, the
surging hum of thousands in the piazza
and streets below rose louder to our ears.
felt the quickening breath of the assistant
at my shoulder I could almost hear the
beating of my heart. Suddenly, like the
passing of an electric current, the first sig
nal flew from lip to lip. I got out and
crossed my legs firmly round the board
with the second signal, I seized the blazing
torch with the third, I felt myself launch
ed, and, lighting evory cup as I gli
ded past, saw all the mountainous dome
above and below mo spring into lines of
leaping flame. The clock was now striking
eight, and when the last stroke sounded,
the whole cathedral was glowing in outlines
of fire. A roai, like the roar of a great
ocean, rose up from tho multitude below.
and seemed to shake the very dome against
which I was clinging. I could even see
the light upon the gazing faces, the
crowd upon the bridge of St. Angelo, and
the boats swarming along the Tiber.
Having diopped safely to the full length
of my rope, and lighted my allotted share
of lumps, I was now sitting in secure en
joyment of this amazing scene. - All at
once I felt the rope vibrate. I looked, up
saw a man clinging by one hand to the iron
rod supporting the padcllo, and with the
other Merciful Heaven ! It was the
Picdmontese firing tho rope above me with
his torch !
I hadno time for thought I acted upon
instinct. It was done in one fearful mo
ment. I clambered up like a cat, dashed
my torch full in the felon's face, and grasp
ed the ropo an inchior two above the spot
where it was burning 1 Blinded and baffled,
he uttered a terrible cry, aud dropped like
a stone. Through all the roar of the living
ocean below, I could hear the dull crash
with which he came down upon the leaded
roof. Echoing through all the years that
have gone by since that night, I hear it
now.
I had scarcely drawn breath, when
found myself being hauled up. The as
sistance came not a moment too soon, for
was sick and giddy with horror, and faint
ed as soon as I was safo in the corridor.
The next day I waited on the administra-
tore, and told him all that had happened
My statement was corroborated by the va
cant rope from which Gasparo had de
scended, aud the burnt fragment by which
I had been drawn up. The ainminlstra-
tore repeated my story to a prolato high in
office; and while none, even of the sanpiet
rini, suspected that my enemy had come by
his death in any unusual manner, the truth
was whispered from palace to palace, until
it reached the Vatican. I received much
sympathy, and such ' pecuniary assistance
as enabled me to confront the futuro with
out fear. ' Since that timo my fortunes
have been various. I have lived in many
countries, and known many strange ad
ventures; but never, before or since, found
myself in such tcrriblo company as on the
dome of St. Peter's, that memorablo Eas
ter Sunday night, where I made my second
escape from death
A DESPERATE FIGHT.
r II HE celebrated fight beetween Adam
J Foe and the Shawnee chief, Black
Father, has been spoken of in tho histories
of early Kentucky, but I believe the par
ticulars of that combat have never been
given correctly to the public.
The fight was remarkablo not only on
account of tho well known powers of the
parties engaged, but for the exceoding
stubbornness with which it was conducted,
and f lie many different phases It assumed
before being brought to an end.
They Utterly fought on the earth, in the
ait and under the water.
Adam Poe, one of the first settlers of
Kentucky, had often expressed a desire to
meet the chief of the Shawnee In a hand
to-hand combat, and these boastings having
reached the ears of Black Father, he declar
ed his intention of seeking out the daring
white man.
This, for two reasons, he actually did,
but circumstances combined to keep them
apart for that time. Fiually, however, the
opportunity came.
Adam Poe and his brother had been out
hunting, and wore returning towards sun
down, bearing a buck on a polo between
them.
When passing a thicket a shot was fired
at them, the ball lodging in the head of the
deer, which was naxt to Adam Poe.
To drop the burden and rush for th
ambush was but the work of a second,
Adam taking too right and his brother
taking the left band side.
The thicket proving much larcir than
either thought,. hey became more widely
separated than was intended, and Adam
was upon the point of returning to where
the deer had. been left, when at a distance
he discovered the gigantic form of the
Shawnee chief, who was just ia the act of
firing upon him. '' "
Adam had, time to reach eover before
the shot was made and then began a eciica
of tactics, such as were rarely witnessed In
these wiltfe), for two of tho most noted war
riors tt the day wero each striving to gain
an advantage over the other.
Foot by foot they drew nearer to each
other, leaping from tree to tree, from
stump to stump, or rock to rock, as the
case might be.
Imperceptible to each other, perhaps,
they gradually "worked" round, until
both stood on tho vergo of a high bluff bank
overlooking the river facing each other,
but some twenty paces apart.
Here, from behind separate trees, the
wily foemeu strovo to obtain a shot; and at
last, Adam, thinking he saw his chance,
fired at the exposed hip of the chief. -
He missed his aim, and like an unchained
lion, the gigantio Indian rushed from hi
cover and bore down upon the nowise un
daunted white man.
Half-way they met, the Indian wieldinif
his tomahawk, having cast asido his rifle,
while Adam laid his hopes and prospects
upon the keen blado of his bunting knife.
With a shock they both met midway.
and then began a struggle such as is rarely
witnossed between two of tho human kind.
Poe was not quite as tall as tho. Shaw
nee but he was fully as strong, aud much
more active; and so the fight was about
upon an equal footing, .
For many minutes they struggled back
and forth upon the grassy level, now clon
ing in tho attempt to throw each other, and
failing in this, again resorting to blows.
dealt with tomahawk or knife.
By this time botli were wounded in sev
eral places, the chief probably the more
severely of the two.
At length in making a savage stroke
with his weapon tbo grasp of the redskin
slipped, and tho light ax wont whirling far
into the river.
' In an instant tho Indian grappled, anil
a struggle, fiercer than any that had yet
taken place, ensued, each putting forth
every effort until, approaching to near tho
precipice, they missed footing, and went
tumbling into the stream locked in a deadly
embrace.
At the point where they fell, the stream
was very deep, and the current swift aud
strong.
The advantage now laid with Adam. Ha
was a practiced swimmer, while he quickly
discovered that his opponent could not
swim at all.
The Indian, aware of this, in turn strove
to regain the shore, but was thwarted at
every point by Poe, who would jerk him
back into doep water, and then both would
go under together.
Finally, falling further out than bereft,
fore, the combatants were caught by 'the
current, and quickly borne some distanco
from land. "'
The fight was now all in the white man's
favor, and would have beeu quickly ended,
but for an unlooked for and unfortunate
circumstance. Adam's brother suddenly
appeared upon the scene, and taking In his
brother's peril, as he thought, nt a glance,
ventured upon the hazardous experiment
of finishing the chief by a shot.
The ball sped, but not truly, for it struck
Adam in tho shoulder, almost paralyzing
the left arm.
His situation now became desperate in
deed. He could force the Indian beneath the
current, but he could not hold him there
and seeing that his own strength !was rap- '
idly departing, he determined to out wind
the enemy.
. With this object he suddonly threw his
arm about the savage a neck, and together
they disappeared beneath the surface
Adam's brother, standing upon the bank
unconscious of the harm he had .done,
witnessed this sudden disappearance in dis
may. Long he waited for the re-appearance of
one or the other, until, at length, be
coming thoroughly alarmed he leaped into'
the stream and swam for the spot. , , t . ,
He reached it not a moment too soon.
Adam had out-winded the Indian, and In
doing so, had nearly drowned himself.
They reached the shore iu aufoty but
Adam never recovered from the great eer-ertiou.