Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-15


Sheriff Nicola left this city FRIDAY
morning with sixteen ~eonvicts, bound for
the State prison. Among the number was
James Lee, who was secured to his partner
in crime Henry Clodden, by shackles bind
ing the feet and wristlets of iron. At the
union depot the sheriff saw a man approach
preparatory to giving Lee something. The
/ sheriff supposed it was a flask of liquor and
ordered him away, as it was against the
rules to give prisoners anything of the kind.
1t turns out hat it was a loaded revolver,
which Lee, through the mediation of CHS
woman" had engaged this man to furnish
him for use on the way to the pe~nitentiary;
for he had made up his mind to escape from
the train, and kill himself before he would
return to that /" dreadful place"
All the prisoners were put on board, the
rear door Of the car locked and the conviets
watched by a considerable number ofguards.
All was going well, apparently, but the Off
GERS in charge knew little of the desperate
purpose of two men in that gang, and of the
strategy they had used and were about to
make available for their escape with life or
death.
We cannot be logical in telling the story,
but must begin really at the end, with the
tale Lee tells, and read backwards as if it
were a Hebrew book. 1t appears that Lee
has a foot so small that he wears No. two
and a half CATERS and has no heel to speak
Of, so that no common shackle could hold
him. He had his "wife" bring him at the
Jail a large pair of boots and a lot of rags,
etc, with which to stuff his feet and ankles
when inserted in the "gun boats" The
shackles were slipped on these "dipped /"
legs without exciting the suspicion of the
officer. So far SO good. Bill Bedford had
played the same game, and both were bound
to escape from the train if they killed them
selves in the attempt. 1t was Lees inten-
ton to jump from the car when near Crest
line station, and effect his escape to Pitts
burgh or Chicago. Before they got to New
London he picked the "stufing' out of his leg
pudding, slipped off the boot, and as the
AaNhANo Ia DtOA accommodated W Nu6 dI-
tifeiaI ankle, it fell off the real ankle with
out trouble. He then put on the boot again,
tucked the shackle into the leg of the same
and tied it in place with his handkerchief |
and slipped down his pants leg 80 that the
hoax would not be easily discovered.
With his pen-knife blade he touched the
spring in the wristlet on his partner, and
with a smart blow with a pop-bottle spraug
the lock. Lee carried the irons on his
wrist.
Lee and Clodden, thus divorced in fact,
went forward and entered the saloon. Had
not the sheriff been sitting on the front seat,
would have darted through the door OF
car upon the platform. The train was
then about one mile this side of New Lon
don, and running nearly thirty miles an
hour. Lee had mistaken the station, but he
out of the saloon window. ClOdden
remained there long enough to give Lee
lime to pick himself up and hide, when he
out of the saloon and gave a hearty
with Boys, Jim Lee is gone!"
The sheriff instantly jerked the bell-rops,
the train was stopped as soon as posi-
bic. "Here are twenty-five dollars for any
nan who will capture him" said the sheriff.
lie left policeman Isaac Frank with three
If the guard to catch Lee, while he went
N with the fifteen. Bedford's chance of
,scape was gone, and his curses were loud
md deep.
Lee struck on his head, inHicting a dread
nj WOUND on his forehead, and was other
wise badly bruised. His clothes were nearly
orn off him, and his side and one leg were
black and blue. He lay senseless
quarter of an hour, but then got up and
taggered against the fence, the blow
knocking him down. Reaching a pool of
7ater, ne washed and was refreshed. He
Don recovered strength and stesdiness, when
e ran for the woods. After a long chase he
vas finally come up with by a man living
n the neighborhood. He had drawn his
and held the man at bay till one ofthe
uard arrived, when, presenting a revolver
0 Lees head, he said, al surrender to you,
nut not to this id Hoosier." He was put
n board a freight trim, and reached the
tate prison a eight o'clock Friday night. He
ried several times to throw himself out of
he car on the way down, saying that he
ranted to kill himself. He had been in the
.Ienitentiary before, and preferred death to
return. His guard were importuned, as
lso the sheriff afterwards, to kill him. He
vas completely crushed, and in the deepest
~espondency and misery.
When brought in to the p~enitentiary the
asked he name of the desperate
nan. "James Lee" was the answer. That
ficer said, "No! his name is Somers. He
las been here before" Lee then gave the
herif a sketch Of himself and his career.
When a mere boy he stole 500, and was
ent to the Penitentiary from Akron, where
70 belonged. His father, he said, was
brutal Irishman and abused his neither
lie inherited his fathers disposition to
rhine, and although he had made many
ttempts to reform, he could not resist the
emptations to do evil.
The sheriff says he was the most miser-
HE .pitiable man in the world. having onIy