TERRIBLE STRUGGLE BETWEEN Two Criminals Vondemned to Death.

Auckland Star, Volume XV, Issue 3722, 15 July 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE STRUGGLE BETWEEN Two Criminals Vondemned to Death.

Some time since a mulatto, named Craljj, : was coudemncd to death for the murder of I a merchant. A few cays after a young . Portugue-e was sentenced to the same fate '■'■■■■■ I for having '•stabbed his mistress." The::': i two were conlhied in separate cells iv the I same prson. Jhey were manacledwith- s, j chains on their feet and hands. Craig, who was very powerful and. ferocious, and >; was a subject of much dread, occupied an obscure dungeon, in which the air pene« tratedltbrough a small grating, but no ray of li<?ht reached his cell. Dardeza, who wm milder in his demeanour, had inspirod the gaoler with compa sion, and his room had'v; some light admitted through a grated \; window, overlooking the country. It was announced to each that their ' execution would take place within three days, For tome time each of the two ■ prisoners had meditated his escape. Dardeza, who had been permitted to receive v the visits of his friends, had obtained some.' instruments to facilitate his-project, but ,: the young man was without vigour, and "was soon discouraged, and had fallen into despair. Craig, more vigorous, more daring, did not despair; he resolved to try all means to escape. From the position of his cell, and the way he had becu passed to be conducted to it, he reckoned that one of its walls was the boundary of the prison, and, lie imagined, if he c>u!d get an opening, he might set into the open country. He com- -v,; menced his work, and to prevent h i he noise from being heard, and to soften.,; the stones, he threw water on tbe cement,' ■_ and with the chains which were on. hi 5...,.,, bands scratched against the wall. When he had removed some fragments, be again ■;■, threw water and commenced scratching j he, with indefatigable activity, never ior an instant quitted bis woik. Every timethe gaoler come to the grating with a lantern he would find Craig near the hole pretending to be asleep, he kept an active ear, and at the least noise he stopped work.; Already the wall was deeply pierced; but . how thick was the wall ? Craig was ignorant of what he had still to do, he did not .even kuow what time remained to the, hour ot his execution, however he made a last trial, and with, his clentched teeth lie attacked the wall. He is f ayed! the stones give way—the wall is pierced; but ■ .-,;■; alas! it is not the pure air and the open country that meets his eascr look through the opening he has so painfully effected, lie perceives only another cell feebly lighted by the pale glimmer of a lamp ;he 9| hears heavy sigh-,—he culls in a loud 9 voice—he hears IJardeza. In a short lime • the two unfortunates approach other. Craig communicates his design to Dardeza. aad learning that his window overlooked the country, he imagined their flight was a ;ft thing effected; but how many days had '■ passed away since Craig h\d learned the fatal news ? He a-<ked Dardezii, who had I been able to count both hours and days, j and found that the last night had com- . menced, to-morrow's sun would light them to the gallows. This dreadful news only '.■ redoubled Craig's courage ; Dardeza sec- , onded his efforts, and the two uniting their energies, to widen the hole made by Craig, it was large enough to admit hint into the cell of Dardeza, The latter had received from a friend a file to break away the bars from his windows, but as we have said, the weakjoung man had not tried to accomplish that which at first appeared so impossible. Now. i; however, the presence of Craig animated him; he seized the file, the two set to work, $ and they had soon separated several bars of grating, the opening was large enough to ;; admit them, and if they could effect a leap of sixty feet, their escape was assured; it ■'■ -.:.. only remained to file the chains which attached their feet and hands. But this ' would be a work of time; the night was advancing, the file could not serve both at , the same time. A terrible dispute aroße, the file was in the hands of Dardeza—he wou'd use it—Craig threw himself on him to wrest it away. In this narrow cell, between two chained raen.devoted to death," - a mortal struggle ensued. Craig being the strongest, threw his enemy; Dardezasaw himself vanquished,—but that neither ~; might be saved, he dragged himself to the i ; window, and would have thrown out the . . Instrument that, but a few minutes before / had appeared as a cod in their, eyes; Crafa prevented him,—" You shall never have It,', cried the frantic Dardeza ; and making a violent effort to disengage himself from the ..''■ hands of his adversary, he put the file i» v his month, and swallowed,it! At this sight Craig sank exhausted. It. is done—he must die. Dardeza, overpowered by the efforts he had made, lay like one really dead; the file was fast in his throat, He was suffocating. Craig seized him by the throat' to strangle him, dashed his head against the wall, plunged his hand in his throat, tore open his chest, and sought by the pale light ; of the lamp the precious instrument of safety,—he drew it forth In blood. Soon ho,: is at work,— his chains fall; then with thelinen of Dardeza he made a kind of IM - which attached to a bar of the window ne let himself out, But arrived at the estrcmity of the lino, he casts his eye' below him, and an abyss of moro than. thirty && was still left; however, he did not hesitate; his fall was broken hy a platform, on which, he rolled, then he fell on the pavement, but all was not over, he found himself surrounded by a high wall, which it was necessary to climb. At the moment he was searching for the place where ascent was easiest, a . watch-dog attacked him. Craig met him,, and fearful that his barkings would, bo heard, be thrust his hand into his mown, and strangled him ; but in the midst of liw convulsive pangs, the dog bit off his thumbThere was no time to lose,—the day-.was. beginning to dawn,—Craig chose bis spot, and soon the harassed murderer stood at liberty. At day-break the gaoler sought - Ills criminals to lead them to the gallows, —he found only a horrible?' w«t«w c*e* corpse, • r