Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-24
CHASTAINE.
A Notorious Ex-Msmphian in Iail at
Kansas City.

The people of Memphis have not
quite forgotten Chastaine, the adroit
forger and scoundrel who passed for a
gentleman here for some years, and
when detected and convicted at last
was saved from going to the peniten-
tiary only through the sympathy and
efforts enlisted on account of his de-
voted wife. The Kansas City Jour
nal, of the 18th inst, has the follow
ing, which shows that he has gone
from bad to worse, and now figures as
a bold, bad burglar;
Among the prisoners confined in
the county jail is one James Chas-
taine, who was arrested some months
ago for burglarizing number of
dwellings on the West Side. He
bears a notorious character, and is
wanted in Memphis and other places
for forgery and other offenses. He is
a shrewd rascal, and during his con-
tinement has resorted to many devices
in order to effect his escape. For a
long time by wonderful exhibit of
will power he worked himself into
the semblance of a skeleton, and ap-
peared to be at the point Of death.
Ills appearance was such as to elicit
the sympathy of numbers of the pray
ing band who were wont to visit the
prisoners on Sundays. They made a
great ado about keeping
A DYING MAN
in confinement, and petitioned Mar
shal Liggett for his removal to the
hospital. This was just what Chas-
tame desired, but the marshal saw
through the game and told him it
would not work, which had the effect
to tone up his system in short order,
and the kind people who had been so
solicitous in his behalf were surprised
at the rapid change for the better
which took place in his appearance.
But, it would appear, he had not given
up all hope of escape, and may be
credited with having planned very
bold scheme which was put into exc
cution Thursday night, but very un-
fortunately for him it was nipped in
the bud. Among the prisoners who
have recently completed their sentence
for petty larceny was one Joe Hit
who was
SENT UP FOR STEALING
watch and is represented as being q
hard character. Chastaine, no doubt
promised him big reward if he would
assist in his escape. Since his release
Hit has been lying around loose, and
on Thursday was run in by the police
for yagrancy. At roll call he wa.
shown up to the officers, and ther
given notice to leave the city. Aftel
leaving the police station, smartint
under the imaginary wrongs, Hit de
termined to put into execution a plar
to get a tool within Chastaine's reacl
whereby he might force the bars O.
his cell apart. Efecting an entrance
into Grimes wagon mandatory, Hill
secured a crowbar, of small size
which he fastened on to long pole
Proceeding to the new courthouse, h,
scaled the high fence, and got into thu
area between the culinary departmen
and prisoners cells. Hosting a win
dow, he was detected in the act o
showing the long pole, with the
CROWBAR
attached, through the gratings of tn,
window, the outer bars of the cage il
which the cells are built, and thus t
the cell itself, where the strong lever
could have been seized by Chastaine
unfastened from the pole, and used t
| pry off the bars or open the door o
his cage, which would have admitted
him to the corridor or walk around
Here his further progress would II,
doubt have been checked, unless per
chance he could have struck the jaile
when he came in in the morning t
unlock the door leading from the cor
ridOr to the area in front. This, it
thought, is the plan that would hay
been pursued but it so happene
that just as Hit was in the act of push
ing the pole through the window, job
Noland, one of Marshal Legget's ser
wants, appeared on the scene. H
was known to Hit, who, on seeing tn
colored man, made move as thougl
he was going to
DRAW A REVOLVER,
at the same time remarking: Kee
still, John; there's a thousand dollar
in this !" The colored man drew bac
quickly and proceeded upstairs to tn
marshal's rooms, who was aroused, bu
although diligent search was made, n
trace of Hit could be found. Tn
pole and crow-bar were lying near tn
open window, where they had bee
left by Hit in his rapid fight. 1t wa
a bold attempt to place a powerful
weapon in the hands of a desperat
man, and had it once succeeded, woul
probably have been the cause of seri
GUS trouble in the Jail.