turned feverishly to one final resort—escape!
He wouldn’t wait like a crippled animal for
the dreadful day when he must mount to the
scaffold. As he exercised daily in the stone
walled prison yard his keen glance took in
every detail of the stone buildings, and as
the gaol occupied a position high above the
surrounding district, he could get a clear

view of Victoria’s northern suburbs from

his cell window. One stratagem after
another he turned over in his mind. Finally

ENSELEN

Hillside Gaol, Victoria, B.

oe ee

C. In the group from left to right are Guard Joseph Mellon, Gaoler

You needn't be afraid of getting caught because
you won’t. These fellows are as slow as they
can be and don’t watch outside at all, and all
that you have to do is to be as quiet as possible
in doing the work on the outside.

We can have a night fixed for to do the work
and on that night the three of you can come up
to the goal about eight o'clock and if you hear
them talking in the office get right to work and
work like everything and keep as quiet as
possible and watch that nobody comes up from
the outside.

“The work that I want you to do is to make a

Robert Liddell, Head Guard Almond Thomas, Warden R. F. John, Head Gaoler William Muldoon,
Guard C. W. F. Blake and Gaoler E. J. Parsons.

on December 31st he had all the details
clear, and committed them to paper hoping
to have the letter smuggled out to his
brother. But a watchful guard had noticed
the feverish letter writing, and the letter
found it’s way to the Warden’s office. The
plan outlined in the letter gives an indica-
tion of the youth’s mentality, and read:

“Dear Brothers and Sisters:

I have a scheme worked up and I know that
it will work alright if you boys will just help
me a little in carrying it out. It is a scheme
that I have made up for to break goal and I think
that that is the only way that I can get out and
if you boys will help me I can make it work as
slick as a field onion. I want you to bring me in
a little keyhole saw and a pocket knife and if
you have a little bit with a gimlet handle on
it, just a small one and then if there is three
of you outside, two for to watch and one for
to do the work it will be alright. It will all be
done at night after nine o'clock and before
twelve and then you boys on the outside can
have a boat ready, and as soon as I get outside
we will go right to where the boat is and then
I can go and leave you. I will go right from
here to Saanich flats in a row boat and then one
of you can go right down and meet me there
and hide me away for the winter, don’t you
see, and if they can’t find me this winter they
will give up hunting for me and then I will be
alright.

WINTER EDITION

—Photo by courtesy Edgar John, Saanichton, B. C.

hole through the wall so as I can crawl out when
I come down. It is easy done, the bricks come
out easy after you get the first one out, the rest
come out easy. Get the good tools to work with
and it will be fine. The wall is four bricks thick
and when you get three rows out and get the
first brick loose so as when the clock strikes
twelve I will come down and then we can take
out the last row of bricks and put them all in
the inside of the goal and they won’t know any
other but that the hole was made from the inside.

“You can pile all of the bricks up so as when
I come down you can hand them in to me, and
put all of the mortar in a sack and hand that
in and I can pour it on top of the bricks and
she will be fine.

“T won't let them put a rope around my neck
and you can bet on that. I don’t deserve it and
I won't stand it and if you boys will help me, in
two or three years we can be as happy as ever.
I don’t think that they will look so very much
for me anyway and if they can’t find me this
winter they will give it up, I think, and then
next summer I can have my leg cut off and get
a cork leg and then they couldn't tell me from
anybody else, don’t you see.

“Now boys, this can be done by careful work
and quiet work and there won't be a soul know
but what I got out by myself without any help.
I know that it is asking quite a lot of you but I
can’t help it. You are the only ones that I have
got for to ask help of, and to you I come for I
know that if you can see a way that you can help
me you will. Now if you don’t want to make a
hole in the wall you can put in a revolver with

the other things in the window, but I will promise
you all faithfully that if you do I won't use it at
all only to scare them if there is too many of
them for me to handle, but making the hole is
the best way.

“Now about the boat, if you can get a pretty
good one and haye a sail in it and enough grub
to last me for about two weeks and a bucket of
fresh water and a couple of pair of oars so as if
I was to break one I would not be left. Think
these things over boys and be as quick as possible
about it. If I was so I could talk to you I could
help you a lot in getting the boat but Willie
will know how to manage it, between the three
of you I think you will make out alright. If you
can get a cheap Winchester and put it in ‘the
boat it might help me for to keep clear of them
if they was to find where I was. Do your best in
working this up and it will be alright. So long.

Fishermen’s Lodge

Oyster River
Vancouver Island

Percy Elsey, Proprietor

Licensed Premises

Our Motto: “Just Like Home”

THE BLUE GROUSE

COFFEE BAR
J. S. GRANT, Proprietor

DINE AND DANCE
LIGHT LUNCHES BOATS FOR HIRE
STORE GAS OIL
OYSTER BAY, V. I., B. C.

Between Courtenay and Campbe!l River

FORBES LANDING HOTEL

JAMES FORBES, Proprietor

BOATS AND GUIDES SUPPLIED
“Where Fish and Fishermen Meet”

Campbell River P.O., British Columbia

THE BEVAN HOTEL

JAMES MURRAY, Proprietor
BEVAN, B.C.

EXCELLENT MEALS
Fully Licensed

CAMPBELL RIVER
GARAGE

O. F. Thulin E. Anderson

REPAIRS AND ACCESSORIES
GAS, OILS, Etc.

Phone Campbell River 4

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