Oh, yes, Jollyrei!
I've always admired her
Oh, yes, Jollyrei!
12. Daybreak ... only my second at Crux Hill Correctional Farm ... except I'm not there, having escaped during the night.
After escaping I took refuge in a wooded area not far from the "Farm". Exhausted, hungry, and with barely enough moonlight to see my way through the undergrowth, I wandered about aimlessly, but as wave after wave of weariness washed over me I decided the best thing to do would be to climb up in a tree and get a little shut eye.
View attachment 320159 There I slept like the dead for several hours, stretched out naked on a broad sturdy branch, until awakened by the chattering of a pair of chipmunks acting as though I had invaded their woodland home.
I yawn, stretch and clamber down. The grass is dewy under my feet as I make my way over to a nearby bubbling brook, stooping to drink from cupped hands. I wonder if there might be berries somewhere that I could pick and eat. I straighten up and begin walking until I come to the edge of the woods.
On the far side of the open field stretching out before me lies the "Farm". I crouch in the brush and watch as the place comes alive with activity. It looks as though they have just discovered my absence There are shouts and whistles. The prisoners are being driven from their barracks to muster on the parade grounds.
View attachment 320160 A posse of prison guards forms up, emerges from the gates and fans out in my direction. Some of them struggle to hold back baying bounds. The hunt is on. They must know that I could not have gotten far.
I back away from the tree line and plunge back into the woods, anxious to put some distance between myself and my pursuers. After retreating a good distance I come upon a small opening and lie down in some tall meadow grass, making myself as small as possible.
I can hear shouts. The baying of the hounds betrays their excitement. They have picked up my trail now and are coming on fast.
I keep my head down. They are getting close. Now they enter the clearing. The dogs have quieted, their handlers commanding them to heel and sit. The men enter the clearing, working their way in my direction.
Moments later I find myself peering through the thick grass at Clem's boots. Slowly I lift my head. He stands over me, shotgun in his hands.
"On your feet Moore. Jig's up," he drawls.
View attachment 320161 Slowly I stand up, not sure if I should raise my hands in surrender. I reckon that would look silly, so I try smiling at him instead and brightly say, "Such a beautiful morning, isn't it? I just thought I would walk over here to see if there were any wild flowers to pick."
"Shut up Moore! Enough of your smart lip! Stand still while we put you in chains. You are in one heap of trouble, bitch! You know the rules. Escape attempts will get ya hung. The warden's gonna have ya noosed and dancing before the sun is down."
"So you say. I suspect that's just a big fat bluff to keep us in line. More likely he will just have you whip me again tonight. Let's go."
View attachment 320162 I put my wrists behind my back so they can cuff me. Leg irons are added for good measure. I am resigned to this. I put up no resistance.
View attachment 320163 Then I am led off by Clem through the woods and across the field back to the "Farm". The dogs and the rest of the posse follow along behind.
*********
Meanwhile back in his office the Warden chain-smokes and drinks from a half empty bottle of bourbon as he waits for word that the escapee has been captured. The office door opens. The Warden looks up.
"Grand Dragon! What are you doing here?"
"Just a friendly visit Henry. Care to share some of that bottle with me?"
"Yes, of course. Grab yourself a glass over there and pull up a chair."
"Thanks. Now the reason I am here is that I understand you have some of those nigger loving freedom riders serving time here."
"Yep. Seven of them ... all Yankee college girl types," the Warden says with a leer.
"Well now Henry, me and the boys been thinking 'bout staging a good ole lynching and cross burning, and been just wondering if there was any way ..."
"Say no more, Grand Dragon. Just so happens that one of those dumb Yankee cunts is a real troublemaker and you are not going to believe this, but just last night I 'arranged' for her to escape just so we could go out this morning and hunt her down. You see, I can't stand her sassy mouthiness and was fixing to have her hung this evening."
"Well don't that beat all! Perfect. What do you say Warden, if the Klan offers to handle her execution for you?"
"Sure, why not? Even better! I will have her turned over to the Klan after dark tonight."
"Great, but won't we be depriving you of the fun of putting a noose around her neck."
"No, not at all. We'll just say she got away and hang three of her friends this afternoon as accomplices instead."
TO BE CONTINUED
(thanks again to Tree for helping with the pics)
After Barb has escaped, I was thinking : "now the action starts! Barb will get a posse on her back, but meanwhile she will have prepared some vicious Rambo-style traps, taking out her pursuers one by one. She captures their weapons, including a rocket thrower and a machine gun of course, returns to the camp, makes some more havoc and liberates the prisoners. As they try to get away, they are stopped by Clem, resulting into a Sergio Leone style showdown. Barb kills Clem, but meanwhile the Krux Klan has arrived and besieges them. Follows more shooting. The freedom riders get out of ammo, but then, just as they are about to be overrun, the US Cavalry arrives right in time to rescue them. Barb falls in love with a handsome, athletic looking Army Colonel. They marry on the spot, and drive away in a white 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible, Barb suddenly realising that she still has no clothes on."
But apparently, she got caught just outside the fence, without resistance. No problem. There is other kind of excitement ahead!
Dear sweet Barb has a reputation for never reading the small print, now we know she never listens either. That so very helpful warden did tell her "tell your friends when you see them again that any attempt to escape from here results in summary execution ... no trial, understand?"
We can but speculate on the manner of her death. The nooses are ready, but is that too simple? The farm is called Crux Hill, is that a clue? And I seem to remember that the Klan and flaming torches go together.
At least Barb hasn't got to worry her overthinking brain with this problem. To paraphrase Thessela "She is condemned, she has no choice".
After Barb has escaped, I was thinking : "now the action starts! Barb will get a posse on her back, but meanwhile she will have prepared some vicious Rambo-style traps, taking out her pursuers one by one. She captures their weapons, including a rocket thrower and a machine gun of course, returns to the camp, makes some more havoc and liberates the prisoners. As they try to get away, they are stopped by Clem, resulting into a Sergio Leone style showdown. Barb kills Clem, but meanwhile the Krux Klan has arrived and besieges them. Follows more shooting. The freedom riders get out of ammo, but then, just as they are about to be overrun, the US Cavalry arrives right in time to rescue them. Barb falls in love with a handsome, athletic looking Army Colonel. They marry on the spot, and drive away in a white 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible, Barb suddenly realising that she still has no clothes on."
But apparently, she got caught just outside the fence, without resistance. No problem. There is other kind of excitement ahead!
13. I am quickly captured the morning following my escape and led back to Crux Hill Correctional Farm ... naked, hungry, shackled hand and foot ... to a fate as yet unknown, but not likely to be pleasant.
I am led by Clem, who tugs at my chain every time I slow or hesitate.
View attachment 320345 We pass through the front gate, cross the parade ground, passing the nude corpse of one of the female prisoners spinning slowly around on the gallows, her tongue protruding in grotesquely from her mouth.
View attachment 320346 I am ushered into the main building, dragged down the flight of stairs leading to the cellar, and thrown headlong, face down, to the hard concrete floor with the help of a well-placed boot applied forcefully to my tight little ass.
I groan as Clem kneels down to remove the chain from my neck.
"Well, would you look at what the cat brought in!"
That’s a familiar voice, I groggily think, even if what was spoken had such a spiteful tone to it. I raise my head slowly. Against the wall nearby, stand three of my "freedom rider" friends, naked with wrists shackled to chains wrapped around their waists.
View attachment 320347 The one on the right is talking to me, anger clouding her face: "I hate you Barbara Moore. We all hate you for what you have done to us. You just couldn't help yourself, could you? You just had to question everything, do every little thing you could to piss them off. And if that wasn't enough, you had to go off and escape!"
She pauses, throwing her head back with a far off look of disdain. The girl in the middle stares straight ahead, obviously not feeling very kindly toward me either. Only the one on the end ... the one staring studiously down at the floor ... the one who was always rather naive and sweet ... her name is Thessela ... refrains from looking at me with loathing.
The first one continues, "Do you have any idea what your little escape has done Barb? Well I'll tell you! You have thrown the whole place into a frenzy. The Warden has been livid. He was so mad, he ordered that Collins girl hanged at muster this morning just out of spite. Who knows what he had in for the poor thing. She had a few demerits, should have been whipped or something like that. Instead he had her hung in front of everyone."
"But THEN ....” pausing for effect, "the Warden decides that the three of us, your own friends, be selected to hang this afternoon as accomplices to your escape! We are innocent. But does it matter? No! Barb we are going to die horribly now, all because of YOU!
I am shocked and start to cry.
Then Thessela surprises everyone. She slowly raises her head, and says softly, "No, we really shouldn't blame Barb. It's really not her fault. The Warden, the judge, the police, the whole system ... that's where the fault lies ... everything here in the South sits on a shaky foundation of bigotry, corruption and injustice. That’s why we signed on to the “freedom ride” in the first place … remember? Let’s face it. We were never going to get out of here alive, no matter what Barb did. So, let’s just face reality together. It's noon now. The hangmen are coming to get us. We have no choice."
Silence fills the room.
“Thanks Thess,” I finally say from down on the floor.
Clem promptly kicks me in the ribs and barks, “Shut up Moore!”
Silence again … only to be broken moments later by boots on the stairs.
TO BE CONTINUED
At last there is one more of the Freedom Riders who realizes that they were up to something different than Spring Break! At last!Then Thessela surprises everyone. She slowly raises her head, and says softly, "No, we really shouldn't blame Barb. It's really not her fault. The Warden, the judge, the police, the whole system ... that's where the fault lies ... everything here in the South sits on a shaky foundation of bigotry, corruption and injustice. That’s why we signed on to the “freedom ride” in the first place … remember? Let’s face it. We were never going to get out of here alive, no matter what Barb did. So, let’s just face reality together. It's noon now. The hangmen are coming to get us. We have no choice."
Poor Barb!
Taking the blame for this, it's not her fault.
This place is corrupt, and wrong!
They have taken our dignity, and now they will take our lives!
I am shivering, I must be feeling the cold.
View attachment 320354
I fear something is going to happen soon... The KKK knows the Feds are closing in...
...none of this looks good for Barb and friends...
View attachment 320367
...I'm just saying...
View attachment 320368
I doesn't look good!!!
Tree
If it wasn't for the fact she is from a 'blue' state it would be a terrible waste to hang such a pretty young lady...View attachment 320372 Warnings. Warnings. Warnings.
Barb, you have a more immediate personal problem winning this battle before you concern yourself with winning any war...View attachment 320377 You forget who won the Civil War.