The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-04-14
THE oriwm LEWIS

THE CAPTURE OFIWFf. LEWIS
A. Duke Finds the SLAYER of
Frank Crawford In the Ever
xlasles of Florida.
A reporter OF The LEDaER received
the particulars of the capture of Wm.
Lewis from detective W. A...Duke:
Caught Wan. Lewis in a town twelve
miles north east Of Quincy, Fla, in the
depot. He was setting down patching
q sack Of guano. l walked in on him
somewhat in the style Of a tramp, with
carpet>bag onlmy arm. rundown boots
on, and casually looking about, askeo
Tor o job Of work. Making.my..wsy near
to Lewis, l drew my pistol and SAID:
Lewis, you are mine; l am going to
take you to Mississippi" "Who are
you?' he asked. 1T makes no differs
ence," 1 replied; "you know me; l am
going to take you to Mississippi. l
have the authority from the Governor
of that State to the Governor of Fiori>
da, and from him, to the Sheriff of your
county" "'Pll not go-I'll die first"
said he. "Lewis,":: II said, ''you have
too much sense for that Then, with
my pistol drawn, and holding it close to
his head, 1 said: Don't move. or l
will kill you; You are going to Missis-
sipri for the murder of Frank Craw-
ford" II will go, if you won't put
the handouts on me-" said Lewis.
I told him that he should know better
than that. and changing the pistol to
my left hand, l drew the handouts and
showed them ON his wrist. clay the
other up; l nm going to take you back
home" He laid it up, and was fastened.
He then requested that he be allowed
to go by home to tell his people good
bye and to get a clean shirt, which was
granted. We went about a mile. came
to his house and went in. Lewis threw
opens trunk, in which was two fine pts
tolls. / commanded his wife and chill
dren to leave the house, and said to
him: "Lewis. if you touch L of those
pistols I'll kill you" His wife and
children were crying. "Come lack
wife. I am not going to do athing,' said
Lewis. I told him to get his shirts,
hut not to put his hand on the pistols.
He didn't get any shirt, but called to
his little son and said: Sect that horse
and go and tell Jim LIE Wis TO come
Lere." l thought that meant business,
as it was only about seven miles to
where his son jim was at work, so l
told him to put on his clean clothes
and to tell his family good by. 1 led
him by the arm to my buggy. got in,
drove off to Quincy. put him in jail, and
paid four men to guard him that night.
Next morning Jim Lewis vas there.
Approaching me he said: Duke is
FOUR name?' That's what they call
me down here in Florida" ] replied.
"You have my fathers prisoner" 81
have Bill Lewis in Jail here; if he's your
father, 1 have him." What are You
going to do with him?' ''Take him to
Mississippi" "Sir. you will never get
there" That's my business lyon
expect to get rich by taking him there"
Il don't know that l will get anything,
but that's my business" l then walk
ed off from him. In a short time he
met me again, with a pistol in his peck
ct, and boastingly declared I would
never get to Mississippi with his fa-
Their. my young friend,' 1 said. "lf
you expect to carry the laws of the
United States in a little pistol, and that
in your brooches pocket, yon are badly
mistaken; you will only get yourself
into trouble and not get your father
out. Now, let me advise you to go
away and let me alone; or if you wish
any further trouble, 1 am ready to mix
it with you. Step of there your dis
lance, and I am ready for you" He
asked, show much money do you
want?" I informed him that l had
enough to take me to Mississippi. He
then left me. l left Quincy that night
about dark, for fear of further danger,
and arrived in Tallahassee next morn
ing about daylight. where l confined
Lewis in Jail. While there q lawyer
came and wanted to know by what au-
thority I held Lewis. by authority
from the Governor of Mississippi to
the Governor of this State" l informed
him. / acquainted the Governor with
my trouble, and be said he would hold
Lewis for one month i'll wished, and
I had no further difficulty. L staid
there two days; then took the boat for
Columbus, Ga. and still on west, as l
could make connection, until 1 landed
Lewis in Jail in HazIehurst. l turned
him over to v. W. Cook, Sheriff Of
Copiah county and boarded the train
for B~eauregard, where | found old man
Crawford, who ] made to rejoice. 1
spent two nights aud a day with him.
He paid me five hundred dollars in
cash, and 1 babe them adieu and return
ed to my happy home.