Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-06
a NEW DODGE.
The Thieves and 5ail-Birds Taking Adj
vantage of the Common Terror
CrOtOn- Oil and Orange Hand
karcgliefs.
Clumsy Conduct Of the City Govern
ment-The TelIOw-Flag Farce
Curious Criminal Episodes.


criminal matters. Harry Cranmer had
been searching four days for lot of
| stolen silverwars which was taken from
E. NJ. Apperson. He found one spoon
of all the missing property in the house
of an old negro woman, who had been a
servant at AppersOn's; but Just reflect
on his feelings searching the shanty in
view of the fact that the old woman was
lying in bed with the smallpox. He
faced the danger boldly and searched
! the premises vigilantly, but could find
nothing but the smallpox and the odd
spoon. That spOonis now at the Chiefs
Office, but no one will go within ten feet
feet of it. The thievish old woman is
saved the trouble of arrest by her COM
| Portable affiictiOn. 1t is reported that
three or four inmates of the Jail are try
ing the smallpox dodge, with the ex-
pectatiOn of getting out. The blue flag,
or "yallar," provided for by Halstead's
resolution, will be very convenient
! thing to hang out wherever thieves or
murderers are concealed. 1t will be as
good as ten-feet wall to save them from
the police.
1t may naturally be expected of a he
role policeman that he will face death
in the shape Of slung-shot, bowie-knives,
pistols, swords, daggers, the sharp nails
of nyEsphs du pare, and paving stones
indiscriminately shied round by an in
furiated mob, attack it in the shape
of fire, or risk drowning, blowing up or
scalding, but not in the direful and loath-
some garb of smallpox. Tho yellow
jack is more tolerable. 1t is too much
to expect that policemen will face death
in the shape of smallpox for ninety dol
lars per month. No man would do it.
Caesar himself would shrink from it.
A man of fine face and physique, which
our policemen all have, would not ieOp-
ardize those invaluable qualities for four
times the pay. Whenever a thief here
after wishes to elude pursuit he viii have
nothing TO do but get behind a yellow
rag and he is safe. Here is how the
dodge works in Louisville, as told by
the COtrier-JOurndl. Smith, the hero of
the tale, was incarcerated for murder:
HOn the morning of Thanksgiving
day, November 18th, DR.. Pope, the jail
physician, was summoned to the Jail to
examine Smith, who exhibited symp-
toms of smallpox. DIR. Pope made the
examination in the cell Of Smith, aud
found every symptom, as it appeared, of
smallpox. 1t is to be presumed, how
ever, that the two recent cases should
have presupposed this to be the fact,
with the symptoms so similar to those
of that disease. However this may be,
application was made for the immediate
removal of Smith to the pest-house, as
measure of simple safety to the other
prisoners. This was done, and Smith,
by some means, managed to elude the
vigilance of the nurses, and on Friday
morning last, at SIX O'clock, made his
escape from the pest-house, and re-
manned at large until yesterday after
noon, when his capture was effected.
He seemed to take his re-capture very
good-humoredly, and, as he was brought
back to Jail, laughingly said, We'll,
boys, here ] am again After he was
recommitted to Jail, DIR. Pope, DR.. Luns-
ford Yandell, jr.. and DIR. d. Cummins,
made an examination of the supposed
smallpox postules, and found them to
have been caused by the application Of
croton oil. We had omitted to say that
after the first examination by DR.. Pope,
on the morning of the twenty-eighth,
the patient was examined by DIR. For
roster, physician in charge of the Uni
ted States prisoners in the Jail, who
gave the same decision as to the dis
ease.n
1t will be easily seen how efficient an
ally smallpox may become to thieves
and stabbers, cracksmen and house.
breakers, and all that class. Instead of
doing something in a quiet, effectual
way to remedy the evil, our clty author
tiles are bent on nothing so much as
making what is vulgarly termed a
"splurge" about it, by providing for
yellow flags and talking committees,
for the purpose Of soaring people to
death. We published the other day an
effectual remedy against this evil, which
is now said to be very bad out along the
lines of the railroads two or three hun
dred miles from Memphis. The coun-
try people generally come into the city
for remedies, and are astonished TO find
that there is so comparatively little of it
here. This is due to the fact that the
city being the focus of learning and
scientific Investigation, prompt RENE
dies may be applied by which the CON
tageOn is neutralized and cured. The
druggists are doing a sweeping business
in specifics for the epizOOtic in men and
horses.