Daily Republican., 1881-11-22
Something Abou, the Crank zoue,


A special despatch from Washington
to the Baltimore Anne ic,n say ys:
Jones Is well known to the police,
having been arrested several times up.
on various charges within the past
six years. He is 80 years old, and
owns and operates fine farm upon the
Bates road, about three miles from the
city. He is regarded as n "crauk" by
his neighbors, and his frequent ecoentri-
cities would seem to Justify the opinion.
His man amusement for the past two
years has been to personate a police
man, and after arresting some unsus-
pecting way tarer and making a show
OF taking him to the station house, to
release him with warning not to be
caught offending again. He spends
much of his time in the saddle, and is
an accomplished horsemau. Upon a
recent occasion he rode up TO u car.
rage which was just entering tie
grounds o. the soldiers Home, ard
compelled the driver TO halt. The oc-
cupants, d gentleman and two ladies,
protested, but with much severity OF
manner, Jones called out: "rhis thing
has been going on long enough; you
must go with me TO the station hous";
have my orders to arrest you" Ex-
planations failed to satisfy him, and
supposing him to be an oilicer--tnough
laboring under an evident mistake III
regard 10 them-thc party accompanied
him to the statiOn-housc. jus. as tAey
were about toalight from heir carriage,
however, Jon's, laughiugly bade them
ard putting spurs to his
horse, quickly disappeared. AS he
had neither offered violc zee nor at
to dsfraud them in any way,
no charge could be sustained agains
him. Shortly afterward he arrested
woman, and upon this occasion he was
were alwaysof harmless character,
ana he was nevcrknown to use OF carry
a ;volver. Those who know him in
say that he is rathc IL half
witted than Il crazy man. His apyear-
auce and demeanOr to-day would seem
to indie tte that he rather enjoys the
notDiiety which he expects to gain from
tae situation. When asked by a gentle
man who was admitted 10 oee h I'm this
"why lie didn't hit Guiteau,"
he laughed and said: "lt WASN'T
that shot a, him. want to see them
Prove it, so confident were the
authorities that the right man had been |
secured that no further search was
made, and it was not until 5 O'Clock |
this afternoon that any or the officers |
who were on the van at the time OF the
shooting were sent out to the station
housc( " here he is cOnlined) to irdenti. |
ty him. Police Officer Edelin, who |
was sitting on the van with the driver, |
and who fired at the horseman as he |
wheeled and He'd, rode out to the station
house to see the prisoner about > clock. |
After thorough scrutiny OF his ftatu-
res aud some conversation with the |
prisoner, Officer Edelin, Withdrew to
the front of the Office and announced to |
.hc officers and reporters who were in
anxious waiting: "Gentlemen, this is
not the man; should know the man
ired at yesterday among million; |
not only fail to identity this man
Dones as the man, but could swear he
$ not the man" Officer Edelin, then
specified the points of difference be.
light complexion, with hardly per-
,eptlbIe nousach", whereas the man
Who fired at Guiteau was dark,
'warthy man, app rentiy about i5
years old, with q very heavy black,
''umpy, moustache. ara a keen
black eye. Besides, the latter was cool
lnd sober, and the manner il which he
damned and executed his worh--even
.hough he failed was that of IL clear
headed, determined man, rather tban a
ialt- wltted crank. Again, the horse
Ne rC da was heavy socrel, with white
iorelesS, while Jones' horse has not u
white speck on it," The authorities
are pretty well satisfied from officer
Edelin's statement that they have not
get secured the right maj and IA he |
ElelIn) is pIobabiy the only person
vino was in position to idcJily
lin, Jones vii. uoubtless be released
tomorrow,