The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-23
Silly ShieIds--R Caught and
Caged--Charlotte's Sensa-
ton.

The escape Of Tom shields. the Young
white rowdy. who shot his sisters
sweetheart. and was convicted Of mur
der, was mentioned last week. The
Charlotte jail j. new one, costing
some 900, 900 The jailor's house is in
the front portion and the cell-hall is
enclosed by walls of brick two feet
thick Several men were hired by
Shields friends to pick an hole through
this outer wall, and then unlock the
doors of his cell, which was on the Sd
tier. Shields had full knowledge Of the
project, and in his cell were found nu-
merous notes and doggrel poetry adj
dressed to his family, and others. All
showed much olee. One letter was
given to his confederates to be mailel
next day to the Charlotte OJscrrcr.
Here it is:
TO the Editor of the OJSerrer.
Before rushing out into the cold, cold,
world, allow me through the columns of
your excellent paper to bid adieu to my
friends, and to extend to various jour
mails and papers my unlimited apprecia-
ton and heartfelt gratitude for their
kindness done me in their columns. by
commenting so nobly and eloquently in
my behalf and l feel very grateful to
your paper, (the DAILY Obserrcr.) for the
position it has taken, for while it has
said nothing for me, it kindly said little
if anything against me, which. allow
me to reiterate, | have not failed to
take due notice of and appreciate ac-
cOrdingly. Now, in taking leave of this
great metropolis, | must say that l
| have done nothing to regret | am
/ simply leaving now because | know
confinement will kill me. | expect to
| be back at the proper time. | suppose
| will be granted new trial, as | have
! had anything but a fair one, though /
don't mean to reflect so much on the
4 trial as the verdict, for it was not a just
one, and was not rendered according to
the evidence given in the case, and had
/ not thought that | would have got at
/ least humane justice | should not have
come here, for by doing so | have been
shamefully and cruelty misrepresented
and brutally imposed upon.
! Under the circumstances, l don't
feel. nor never have, that my God holds
me accountable for killing that miser-
able dog, Sitton, for if placed in like po-
sition | would act instantly as before.
L claim that | had right to the inter-
view with him, and he was responsible
for what occurred afterwards, and not
me, for | was iustifiab,e in defending
myself during said interview. In each
instance he was the aggressor. When
l spared the worthless, penniless vaga-
bond when / found him in my dwelling
house where he had sneaked to in the
dead hour Of the night, it's a preposter-
Gus idea, in fact it is too unreasonable
to suppose that sought his life. after
that and similar opportunities had /
wanted to take it. | am frank enough
to confess that | only did so because |
did not want to take life, and trusted
that matters would terminate for the
better. | did not want to inflict pain
on any one. When | went to see him.
| intended to reason with him and offer
him inducements, (Which, by the way,
he did not deserve), and have no hesl-
fancy iii saying that | don't have the
slightest idea where the interview OF
conversation would have ended, had he
not acted so foolishly and attempted to
get his pistol to shoot me. Those are
the circumS tances under which he was
killed, and | say again that | have
nothing to regret so far as | am indivld'
uaily concerned. One, and the only
thing / do regret, is the effect that the
late trouble has had on my door father
and mother in their advanced age.
may have to come back to see you soon
again, but | hope not too soon.
To my boyhood days, ia, ia.
i To the scenes of my youth, in old Hopewell,
And to my friends and foes alike-farewell
Very respectfully,
THOMAS l.. SHIELDS.