, 1866-10-26
Arrest of Mat BIed.oe


On Monday night last 1t became know0 70
Marshal Banks and Deputy Sheriff Reams thai
NAT. Bledsoe, one OF the escaped eouyicts from
Salem, ives in town, aud also that be was goino
out on the stage TO Yrexa the next morping
Banks and Reams consulted as to the best mods
OF arresling the criminal, and il was decided
that Ashland would be the most favorable noio,
Tor their enierprise-the time while the staor
passengers were at breakfast. They accordinS~
~ procured buggy aud started from town
about two o'clock 10 the morning AT Phnuix
they turned OF the main stage road SO as not to
arouse the curiosity of the hcstler at the wav
station. When at Ashland the landlord was ac>
qualnted with their erraad and Instructed To
oring the officers word as TO the manner in
"nieh the guests were seated at the breakfast
taOle while they retired iutc tue second story of
me building 10 watch BledSee as he got out of
'ne Stage When seated atore~Afast the officers
stepped in to the dining room, when the frst
words that gave intimation Of danger to the
criminal was " Bledsoe throw your hands up. {"
and he turned his head only to see the muEzle
OF shot gun leyeled directly at his head by
Marshal Banks, while in less time than we write
deputy Sheriff Reams had his hands behind
hlm, bound by pair o. patent hand cuffs. He
was then led into the bar-room where be faint.
Cd and was carried to a lounge, but soon reeoV- |
eTed e., aud went back aud ate hearty breakfast. |
Inc party, after breakfast, came to Jacksonville.
and on Wednesday morning Marshal Banks
started with the prisoner for Salem.
Bledsoe eonversed quite freely of his escape
and trials for few days afterwards. The es-
cape OF the convicts as related by him and the
published accounts DO not differ 10 the main.
ne says that the plctto escape had bsen on foot
LOT about four weeks, but that he never gave
ms consent TO it until the Sunday before they
broke out on Monday. After breaking through
the guards and while running TO the cover Of
the brush, he was shot, at the. Second fire. in
the lefl thigh. The third shot killed Wright.
The distance from The prison gate to the bsash
was about $50 yards. lie elgded Warden Alden
by various turDsand zig zags, and noticing that
his leg was bleeding very badly, be stopped aud
bound II up with piece of cloth from the leg
Of his trousers. lie got about four miles from
town that night, aud stopped not able to walk.
lie heard the alarm bells very distinctly, and
one man rode within twenty feet Of him. lie
gives this mans name us Kinney. When the
noon had gone down hc crawed to q farm
rouse and got piece Of scyihe which hal
'een made into corp cutting knife. With this
le cut himself crutch ia the shape of a
orked stick. lie also got some gre,n apples
Ind potatoes al this house, aud went on until /;
le found place where he thought il would be. Z
afe to pass the day but his CONSERVATION was
'reat when in the morning he saw two wood !
hoppers take their station for the days labor 4
'i'"iu huHuleu gaIus VI MS uldlhs place. lie u
are not move aud he lay there all day aad /
watched the labOters home at night, which was
q small cabin close by, where they cooked
heir supper and lay down to sleep, one of them
utting his trousers under his bead for pillow 0
'hese our criminal hero stole and left his own q
ne-leggcd penitentiary pants IN their stead.
Alter this nights adventure he refused to dis :
~ Opportunity he bathed his wound with cold b
ater, so that when he was arrested it al c
lost well. lie refused to tell how he got here fl
town. He regrets very much that after going I,
trough as much suffering as he has, that, as he
IpIesses himself, he should here act the fool g
nd get caught lie seems to dread the hum &
red lashes he is TO receive when be is again re- D
lrned but he can have this consolation, that ii
ut very few criminals can get through this q
ountry without being caught.-JdeksoHriiLe r. r.
eatiae[ Il