The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-17
TAMpERrNG WITH A WITNESS.
Heartless Bacon, the Train Robber,
Still in hiding.


Still in hiding.
Have they caught HeartlesS Bacon yet"
was tho standing question yesterday. Well,
they haven't caught him. Philip Henry
says that Bacon has been stealing from the
Savannah, Florida and Western and the
Central for years. The detective of the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway
says that he raided Bacon's place, up coun-
try, some months ago, and recovered quite
an amount of stolen goods, but could not
get Bacon. That Bacon is a notorious crook
is well-known, and with ordinary zeal it is
thought the railway detectives ought to
hunt him down.
1t is known that Bacon was in the city
| last Saturday, and made quite a lot Of
| purchases at a grocery on st. Julian street
| He had plenty of money and made quite
| number of presents, going out of the city
| over the Central railroad without detection.
| lie is said to carry a 38-caliber revolver in
| his breast pocket, and is prepared to use it.
| II tie statements hat he made to Philip
| Henry, his accomplice, who is now in Jail,
| are to be relied upon, Bacon has been
| Systematically robbing the railroads center
ing here for the past twelve years, and there
| seems to be no doubt of mis- having ac-
| completes and fences enabling him to dis
pose of the stolen property.
The extent of the robberies has been care
fully concealed from the public, but it has
leaked out that clothing to the extent of
about twenty-five suits was stolen in one
night. 1t is also known that cutlery has
been stolen, and the jewelry mentioned in
the MORNING NEWS of yesterday. These
robberie5, and the theft of cotton were all
committed last week and the detectives of
the Central railroad have been notified of
the thefts, but do not seem to have been
able to work I'D the case
The jewelry turned up by the MORNING
News yesterday certainly ought to afford
sufficient clew. The watch eft by Henry
with Alice Frierson had a chain on 1t, which
was taken from the bunch of chains said
Dy Mrs. Alice Frierson to have been left by
an unknown colored man at her place with
the clocks. Henry says he got the watch
and chain from Bacon. 1t is conclusive,
therefore, that the jewelry was stolen by
Bacon. The car containing the jeWelry was
robbed Tuesday night of last week, and
last week Henry found the watch with
Alice Frierson. 1t was last week that she
claims an unknown negro left the clocks,
etc. at her place.
There is no relationship between Mary
Bacon and Heartless Bacon. 1t is signih-
cant, however, that an effort was made
yesterday to disSuade Mary Bacon from
being a witness in the case. An offer was
made her to leave the city; also to get her
TO say that the story told by Alice Friersol
as to Henry is the true one. Mary was firm
in saying that the horse doctor story is I'M
true. She was unwilling to accompany
Alice Frierson to a lawyer to make a state
ment, and while she does not want to be a
witness, she says if she has to go to court
she will tell the truth. She thinks that the
Frierson woman wants to put the burden of
the cotton transaction on Henry, and she
will not he a party to it. She says that
Alice Frierson knew Henry to be a crook,
and used him.
Officer McDermott, who recovered a gold
watch belonging to Frierson, the details of
which wore published in the MORNING
NEWS at the time, says that when he WIS.,
tied Frierson's place on that occasion he
saw Henry hanging about the place and
told Alice Frierson that Henry was thief
This was before the cotton theft. That
Henry should be entrusted with mule and
cart to bring in a bale of cotton after
nightfall, in spite of Officer McDermott's
warning, is construed as very suspicious
act, to say the least Mary Bacon was a
frequent visitor to Frierson's, and it APP
pears that Alice Frierson made confidant
of Mary. When Henry was arrested it
appears that Alice began to suspect Mary
with collision with the officers. But Mary
Indignantly denied it, and said she did not
believe that Henry was in Jail. Alice
FTleTsOu JODk UDlS view VI IL, duu tTuSIlnR
Henry persisted for a time in agreeing with
her husband that there was no such a man
as Heartless Bacon.
Frierson and his wife now claim that as
the affidavit charges Frierson with being an
accessory before the fact to the breaking
into the car, it will be necessary to first APP
prehend Bacon and convict him. Bacon
went into hiding Saturday after learning
that Henry was in jail. Frierson said
Mop6au Dinht that ha Gi,avV XVhpra RanDn
is, and that he is armed with double
barreled gun and two revolvers. In the face
of the fact that Frierson told officer McDer-
mott that Bacon is a myth" the two
statements conflict, and the fact that an
effort was made yesterday to get Mary
Bacon to leave the city deepens the suspicion
against Frierson.