University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

Page 10 text:

Convict Number 3875 Louis L. Gairaud. HE murky fog hung low and dismal erer the dank-smelling marsh. The fine sleet-like parti- jny ■■■ ■ cles of water, whipped y V fi by a chilling breeze, I SJ string the faces of the al j men, and penetrated through their clothes, freezing them as they worked. The reeking smell of tules accompanying the marsh fog clung to one with a tenacity that was impossible to rid oneself of. The work progressed slowly. The road was nearing completion, and the men were loath to hurry. The sooner the work was finished, the sooner they would be back in their dark and drea- ry cells. Much better it was to work out here in the mud and fog, with a measure of freedom, than to be shut up in a gloomy prison cell without an op- portunity of moving about. It was just such thoughts of return- ing to the prison that provoked rebel- lion in the heart of Blank. Sentenced to hard labor, for a crime he claimed he had never committed, he was put on the road-gang, at the time engaged in building a new road through a neigh- boring marsh. His unjust conviction rankled in his mind and he was deter- mined to seek a chance of escaping from the dreadful routine of prison life and the monotony of the labor. At least he could make an attempt to es- cape, and if he was unsuccessful, he would only be brought back to the pris- on and probably put in confinement ; but, on the other hand, if he succeeded, he would have a chance of proving his innocence. With this determination fully resolved upon, he bided his time for an opportunity of putting his plan into action. The work was nearing the solid shore and the fill was ne arly complet- ed. But a few yards remained to be filled in, and the hardest part of the work would be completed, leaving only the finishing touches to be made. Blank, realizing that the impending completion of the work might cause the cutting down of the gang, and that his chances for making his getaway were consequently growing slim, knew that he must act at once or fail. Which would be the easier way? To hide in one of the cars after it was emptied, or to quietly slip off the side of the fill and hide in the tules until he could slip away before the men were marched back to the prison? The latter way appealed to Blank more than the former, and he instantly put it into execution.

Page 9 text:

THE REDWOOD the students at Santa Clara have been drilling without arms, without uni- forms, without equipment of any kind, under the direction of Captain Joseph L. Donovan. But during the long va- cation Captain Donovan, who for six years has been the dean of the Engin- eering Department at Santa Clara, was detailed to Utah as Commandant of the War Prison Barracks at Fort Douglas. Captain Donovan, an old West Pointer and a Commander in the Span- ish-American war, is a man, every inch of him, and is a remarkable soldier. As a result he is thoroughly popular with the Faculty and Student-body alike. It can well be imagined then how joy- fully the news of his return home was received. But the fact that military training at Santa Clara was carried on so in- tensively without arms made such an impression upon the War Department that it resolved to establish an Offi- cers ' Reserve Corps at Santa Clara. The matter has been brewing for some months now, but it was only a few weeks ago that the news of it being a settled thing reached the University. Santa Clara too is greatly indebted to its friends in Congress and Senate in the persons of Congressmen Kahn and Hayes, and of Senators Phelan and Johnson, as well as to Secretary of the Interior Lane. We feel that the deep place they hold in their hearts for San- ta Clara is not a little responsible. That Santa Clara students now have a wonderful opportunity there is no doubt ; and the way they welcomed the joyful news bore ample testimony to the fact that they appreciate to the ut- most the remarkable favor and privi- lege of being the only Institution of Learning in California to which has been granted an Officers ' Reserve Training Corps.

Page 11 text:

THE REDWOOD Quietly sneaking down the side of the fill as the guard ' s attention was at- tracted to the other side of the car by a sudden commotion, his movements fortunately screened by the fog bank momentarily growing denser, Blank noiselessly parted the tules, and pass- ing through, allowed them to close be- hind him. Not wishing to make known his attempt by foolishly endeavoring to w allow through the mud without be- ing able to accurately gauge his direc- tion, he bent the tules over and formed a mattress to hold him, first finding a spot sufficiently hard to bear him up. Having succeeded in eluding the guards, he Avondered how long it would be before his absence would be discov- ered. Would they discover his absence before noon-time? If they did not, he would have some chance of getting away. Acting on this thought, he care- fully worked his way in the direction he thought was away from the fill, us- ing as his compass, the noise made by machinery and the emptying of the rock-cars. The fog was still heavy, though there were indications of its lightening. The smell of the tules and the stagnant water through which he was obliged to crawl, was not very pleasing to Blank as he laboriously made his way towards the shore. ' ' If I could only make that other shore before I am discovered, he mused, ' ' I could get to the railroad and then it would be easy going. If my luck holds out, and the fog does not lighten too much, my absence won ' t be discovered until it will be too late for the guards to catch up with me. Anyway, they won ' t know which way I ' ve gone. With these consoling thoughts, he continued his efforts to make the oppo- site shore, and, still using the clamor of the machinery as his invisible bea- con, at length began to feel the mud, as the tules grew thinner and sparser, give way to harder ground. With re- doubled caution he made his way out of the tules, and lay flat upon the edge of the marsh watching for signs of life. Nothing stirred, to send him scampering back into the marsh. Em- boldened by the lack of danger, he rais- ed himself, and bent over like a jack- knife, half-ran, half-walked away from the marsh. Using extreme caution, he made his way with unerring precision for the railway. The land over which he hur- ried, he knew, was uninhabited, and the probability of meeting anyone was very slight. But his life was in the balance, and the greatest care would not go amiss. He reached the railway at last, and turning, followed it towards the south. After a few minutes ' hurried walk, he made a momentary stop, and straight- ened up from his crouching position. Raising his arms towards the heavens, he took a deep breath, and thanked the Lord for his safe conduct thus far. But it was yet too soon for exultation. It was nearing noon, and a safe place