PRISONS: The Diggers

Ten convicts who tunneled out of Washington's Walla Walla State Penitentiary last week wanted more than mere freedom; by painstaking organization they had prepared to enter society as flawlessly documented citizens.

By this week nine of them were caught, each carrying a tidy briefcase containing credentials produced in the prison print shop. There were papers identifying the men as full-fledged officials of the Washington state prison system and well-written letters of reference, one ostensibly signed by State Institutions Director Dr. Thomas Harris. There were draft cards, business cards, drivers' licenses, birth...