Prisoners
often use ingenious methods to try to escape. Some of them are
desperate attempts, and some may be amusing to others. Shorty Schmidt
was a little German who was a carpenter. He was working on a
maintenance job on one of the employee's residence, and he built a
hide out under the front steps. At lock up he was missed and a man
hunt began, but he could not be found. But the officials believed
that he may be hiding out some where on the premises, so a day and
night patrol was maintained. After the third day Shorty decided to
try to make a get away during the night. He was quickly picked up.
The
woman who lived in the house where he had hidden under the steps was
a notorious gossip, and each morning she and a neighbor would sit on
the steps and exchange the latest gossip and swap some of their
spiciest stories.
Shorty
Schmidt's freedom was short lived, but for a while he was probably
the best informed man in the neighborhood on local gossip and spicy stories.
Author:
William J. Duffy, Jr.
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Last Revision March 2001