Autobiography
Who KilledMiss Che Che?
An Autobiography
Episode36: Deeper In Maximum
One day the lead officer came to my cell."Pack your things," he said. This was about four daysafter I was sentenced. I packed up and stepped out of the cell.He pointed east towards the new maximum section.
"What sir?"
"Go to that side," he said. Theywere transferring me further into maximum?
I said nothing and did what I was told.I was placed in number one cell on that side, further into thehole.
I did not understand why I had to stay inmaximum confinement. I gave no trouble. It was beyond me. I justrolled with the punches and settled in, telling myself that anypart of the compound was prison. My time must be served.
But my situation tormented me. I was oneman alone. I never wrote to or got any letters from any femaleinmates. I did not want to get involved with anyone. There wereabout 20 female inmates then. Some, when they saw me outside onexercise, would say hello but I was not interested.
One day I thought of escaping. I studiedthe slide doors for the cells and soon discovered a way to escape.Some officers called me "the humble genius". Some saidI should have been in the British Army.
One morning when I was let out to cleanmy cell, the officers went back to the office, saying they wouldreturn in 15-20 minutes to lock me in and let someone else outto clean. That is when I studied the door and lock.
The slide door had a hook tongue stickingout and pointing downward. When the door was slid across the hooktongue enters a slot in the steel doorframe, drops and hooks intothe slot and the lock itself inside the door clicks to indicatethat some sort of barrier sets in place to prevent anyone or anythingfrom lifting the tongue and opening the door. Underneath the hooktongue there was a space about half an inch in height for thetongue to drop and lock. When the door is open the tongue is atthe top of that space; when locked the space is at the top ofthe tongue. The tongue has to drop that whole distance beforethe lock clicks, sometimes the click cannot be heard because ofthe noise the door makes when being locked.
Now, the tongue did not have to drop thatwhole half-inch to catch and hold but just to click. So I discoveredif I plugged something hard under the tongue into that space justenough to prevent the tongue from dropping all the way and makingthe hook lock but leaving enough drop for it to catch onto theslot and hold that I could open the door by lifting up on thetongue of the lock.
I tried it that morning by plugging thatspace with foil paper and closed the door. I heard no click. Ipushed hard on the slide door to test if it had caught and heldstrong into the slot. It did not open. It held strong. I thentook my ruler and slipped it in the small space between the doorand the frame underneath the tongue and pushed upward slowly toavoid making any noise. The hook moved, lifted and the door opened.I slid the door open. I had discovered a way to escape. I thenquickly removed the foil paper from under the tongue before someonesaw it though you would have to look hard to see it andif you are not looking for something in particular you usuallymiss it, right? Nevertheless, I removed the foil.
I was living in that cell for months andnever escaped. I told no one about the doors. I often asked differentofficers, "Why don't the prison want to transfer me?"
"I don't know. Maybe they think youwant to escape," I was told.
"Escaping is not hard for me if I wantedto because maximum cannot stop me, " I would say sometimes.
The officers would then say, "Maximum holds anyone and stopsanyone from escaping." I would smile to that and say no more.
I was not too worried about coming out ofmaximum. I never had much time to serve. I would soon get outthen go away. I had made an application to attend my mother'sfuneral but the prison refused to let me go. I am lying, am I?Upon hearing the news, I said nothing, just turned away and walkedto the window and looked out as the officer left the cell.
Why was the prison doing this? Why? My behaviorwas good. I was no problem to inmate nor officer, have never been.I just mind my own business. Were they trying to provoke me intocommitting myself somehow? I laid down and let the tears run downthe sides of my face into my ears onto the pillow. I would live.It will not kill me. I will not beg them.
My sister and I were privileged to visiteach other on the weekends. On one of those visits my sister delivereda message to me from one of those female inmates. "Simonesays to tell you she thinks you are handsome and she likes youand wants to write to you." I told my sister to tell herthanks for the compliment but I did not want to get involved atthe moment. My sister told her and every visit there was a newmessage from Simone.
Christmas came and went; it was now 1988,my sixth Christmas in prison! Oh yes, it was time to really changenow, go away, find a nice girl, get married, raise a family. Yes.It would soon be 17th March and I would be 23 on St. Patrick'sDay.
Time passed. My sister and I had the sameplans to a sense, to leave Cayman and go someplace else to starta new life. Get married, have children, start over. It happenedfor her but my plans fell through. I am happy for her.
My release day was five months away andstill they would not take me out of maximum. In January I wastransferred back to the old maximum and placed in Number One Cell.Why? I did not know and was not given any explanation. I madeno protest and let them do what they wanted to do. I rolled whenthey punched me so the punch did not land too solidly. Yes, Ithought they were trying to provoke me but I was too patient andtoo strong. I said nothing.
I was in Number One Cell in new maximumfor 4 months and did not escape nor did I pass on the information.If I had passed it to the inmates someone was bound to escapeand I did not want to be responsible for that; if I had passedit to the officers the inmates would be put under more pressure.I thought just being convicted and locked down 23 hours a daywas enough pressure. I said nothing.
I did not know if any of the other inmatesin maximum were guilty of murder. I had read nothing of theircases. I didn't know and I asked no questions. If a person trulycommits murder I think he deserves to be kept in prison. But Iknow that I never committed murder. In history there have beenmany people convicted for crimes they did not commit, even murder.Many murderers were put to death, some were given life in prisonand it was later uncovered that they had not committed the offence.I've read of such cases.
Next: Philip fights his murder charge
*All Names have been changed to protectthe rights of individuals.
Disclaimer: The preceedingexcerpt from the Autobiography of Philip Glennan Ebanks is copyrightedby Philip Glennan Ebanks and does not necessarily reflect theviews of Cayman Net News, CNN employees or its affiliates. CaymanNet News does not accept responsibility for opinions expressedin this series.©