Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-10-25
FROM JAIL TO FORTUNE.
Remarkable Career of an Ex-COnvict
who has Grown Rich.
New York Sun.l

Wayne county. Pennsylvania, has a
character with an eventful history.
His name is George Avery and at
present he is in one of the Western
states. In 1870. when Avery was on
ly twenty-one years old, he was
charged with the murder of John
Hayes. of Rowland. Pike county. He
was arrested. The evidence against
him was said to be so conclusive that
he could not escape hanging. While
on the way to Milford, where the coun-
ty prison was located, in charge of a
deputy Sheriff, the official imbibed
freely and became helplessly drunk.
Avery secured the mans keys, and un-
locking his handouts, he placed them
in the bottom of the wagon. He took
the relns from the officials hands and
drove to the nearest hotel, where he
arrived at a late hour. He put the
drunken man to bed, reused him the
next morning, drove on to Milford, and
after he had put the deputy to bed at
the hotel he walked up to the jail and
delivered himself up to the keeper,
telling about his experience.
Three months later he ives tried for
murder and in spite of overwhelming
proof against him, was acquitted. The
day after he was discharged from GUS
tody he was arrested charged with
burglary, convicted and sent to
state prison fol eighteen months. He
served the full term, reading law dur
ing his confinement. When he left the
Eastern Penitentiary at Philadelphia
he returned home, opened law office
and had several citizens arrested who
had testified against him when he was
on trial for burglary, charging them
with perjury. Failing to make out his
case he was sentenced to pay the costs.
He had no money, so he went to Jail
again, where he renamed until his
friends could scrape up enough money
to get him out. Finally he became
free man again and returned to his
old home at Rowlands.
From that time burglaries were
numerous about there but there was
never evidence enough to convict Av-
cry. A year or so later he went to
Oil City, where he hung out his shin
gle as lawyer. Clients were numer-
Gus and fees were large. Avery was
reaping golden harvest, when he was
convicted of forgery and sent to the
Western Penitentiary for four years
and eleven months. While there he
fell in love with the daughter of one
of the prison keepers and she offered to
assist him to escape out he refused to
leave until mis- time was out. At the
end of the term he went back to Row.
lands, soon after professed religion,
began preaching a little, swindled
neighbor out of $lo0 and was induced
by the nelghbor, who enforced his ar
gument with shotgun, to refund the
money.
Avery then left for Luzerne county,
where he got into difficulty and was
semitic the Eastern Penitentiary for a
short time. Upon his release he stole
enough money to take him to the min
ing regions of the Far West. where
under an assumed name he opened a
law Office and speculated in stocks.
In 1882 he struck it rich, cleared $780,
600, gave up the stocks, invested
his money in government bonds and
sent for his fiancee, the prison keepers |
daughter, who joined him in Chicago,
where they were married. Avery is
only thirty.four years old. He never
touched liquor, never gambled nor
used tobacco, and claims to have been
3 victim of circumstances. He writes
to friends that he is leading an honest,
upright life, and that when he comes
East it will be as a United States SEN
ator from one of the Western States.