Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-25
Is COMBS MADE

- I
The Game a Con victed Rounty Swim.
dIer Is Playing HIS strange
Freaks I'm Ia Penitentiary.
Nashville American. 2ith.l
M. Combs, jr., who is confined in the
penitentiary Tor collecting false bounty
claims against the government, has been
assuming a role lately which is quite
puzzling to the officers in charge. Since
bis arrival in January he has pretended
to be crazy, but it was more than once
suspected that he was but acting. He
refused to wear clothing, and was very
violent in his manner at times, shouting
loudly for jeff Davis, Robert E. Lee,
Bob Toombs and the Southern Confede-
racy. This excited some suspicion, as
he was known to have been in harmony
with the other side of the house. With
the advent Of warm weather his "symp-
toms" increased, and he has been placed
10 the hospital ward. For weeks he
would refuse to sleep, and for several
days would eat nothing. He was exam
ined yesterday morning by DR.. J. M.
Jamison, the hospital physician, who
was of the opinion that bis mind, after
so long an affeetation of madness, was
really wandering.
When questioned by an American re-
porter, Combs said that they had been
pulling and hauling him all night. He
was asked who they" we're, and said the
"Undine Troupe" that the deputy war
dea had let in on him. There was but
one hope Of %relense, he said, and that
was through the influence of the Queen.
His mind then seemed to wander to the
republican government under which We
live" and he said the President would
pardon him Deputy Warden Cumming
mentioned bounty claims aud Combs
eyes sparkled with the old fire, as per
/. haps he recalled his f%avorite but ruinou
occupation.
Combs is a lawyer who, for profes
= sionsl s~hrewdness ranked high at Men
b phis. he was born at Terre Hautt
Indiana, where he has two brothers liz
d ing. His principal practice in Memphi
was pushing false bounty claims agains
:, the Government, and this he did yer
successfully, very rarely failing to &C
complish his purpose. de a at lengt.
t detected and sentenced at Memphis las
January on three charges, for five year
each. 1t is sid that there were $50
o cases against him. Seventy. five werl
n presented, but utter he was convicted o.
k three Of these for a term of five year
each, the remainder were not brough
up. A gentleman connected with th
prison management tells OF a piece
% sharp practice on the part Of Combs seV
eral years ago. He persuaded a womar
to put in a claim for four sons kille
in the Federal army, when sh
had but two, both of whom we're kille
h in the Confederate service. Spurious ce
.e ~ti6cates we're manufactured from tn
h captain of the company, and Combs wa
successful and got the money. He gay
the q paper, which he told her
y show to no one or it might ruin the
If plans. She showed it to a friend, hov
ever, and it proved to be a receipt wit
her name attached, for the entire amour
of the claims. Combs looked very muc
surprised when confronted with the ey
dence Of dishonesty, and denied that
s, had ever received the money. At int
walls Combs forgets bis role OF madneI
and speaks nationally, but the great
IN part of his time is spent in broodiI
over his misfortunes.