walked off. That convict has never been heard of
since. He was a slick one. After his departure it was found out that he
had walked away from the Colorado prison in the same manner.

The following is an instance of the shrewdness practiced in effecting
escapes. A hog-thief was convicted and sent to the prison. He related
that while traveling through the southern part of Kansas, a mere tramp,
passing by a farmer's residence, he saw a number of hogs in a lot
adjoining a grove some distance to the rear of the house. Passing up
through the grove, unperceived, he removed one of the boards and drove
the hogs out through the woods into a small pond where they covered
themselves with mud. Then driving them around on to the main traveled
road, he started with them for town some five miles off. As he was
driving along the highway, the owner of the hogs met him and inquired
where he was taking them. He replied that he was going to market. The
farmer said he was making up a car load and would give him as much as
he could get in town. After some further conversation the parties agreed
upon the price, the farmer buying his own hogs from the tramp, who went
on his way rejoicing. An hour or two thereafter the farmer, going out
into his field to see his hogs, found they were gone, and upon examining
those recently purchased, which by this time had rubbed all the mud off,
he discovered it was his own hogs he had purchased from the tramp. He
immediately set out in pursuit of the thief, whose whereabouts were soon
determined. The thief, after receiving the money, went to town, took
a train, but stopped off at a little place nearby, and instead of
secreting himself for a time, began to drink. While dissipating he was
overtaken, arrested, and held for trial. Had he left whisky alone, he
could have escaped. At the trial, which soon followed, he was convicted
of grand larceny, and on his arrival at the prison was immediately
put into the coal mines. After working there for a week or ten days he
became dissatisfied, and decided to secure a position on the surface.
One morning, as the prisoners were being let down into the mines,
apparently in a fit he fell into the arms of a prisoner; when he landed
at the bottom he was in the worst part of his spasm; the officer
in charge ordered him sent to the top as soon as he had partially
recovered, stating that it was dangerous to have a man working in the
mines who was subject to fits, as he might not o