The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-25
WAYS OF THE CROOKS.
Ex-Convicts Who Return Home and
are Sent Up on Long Time.

Ex-ConVlctS VINO Return home ana
are Sent Up on Long Time.
In a majority of cases when a crook is
sent up the road. serves his time out and
comes back he is not long here until he is at
his old tricks and is sent back again. One
OF the most remarkable cases of this kind
is that of William Small, who, with John
Johnson, both colored, were convicted of
the murder of sailor by the name of Nc
Dermott in the Old Fort. johnson was
sentenced to death and Small received a
life sentence in the penitentiary. When
johnson came to the gallows, in his last
declaration. he assured the officers and the
witnesses of his hanging that Small was in
nowise connected with the robbery and
murder of McDermott. Shortly after
JohnsonS execution a petition was got up
LOT Small, and the governor pardoned him.
1t would seem that man who had thus
narrowly escaped spending his life as
convict would have kept straight. When
he was brought back from the penitentiary
he began his old ways and within a year
was convicted of the larceny of watch,
chain and money, and was sent up TOR
twenty years.
Claiborne Smith is another colored crook
who went up the road for three years for
larceny, served his time out, came back,
burglarized a store and got fifteen years the
next time.
Josh Rives served four years for larceny,
and when he came home began his old
tricks, and going from bad to worse, got a
ten-years' sentence for assault with intent
to murder.
John Lee, a one armed mulatto, was an
escaped convict when he was convicted for
stealing watch here. He was an Augusta
crook, well known to the patrons Of the
cockpit Lee served his time, came back
TO Savannah and went up again for four
years for larceny
Hall Solomons and Joe Washington went
up twice. The first time they got but one
year, came back, and, resuming their old
profession, got a ten-years' sentence each.
Bob and Zee Williams were two hard
cases who went up for burglary. Zee was
an lnsubordinate fellow, and it is said that
he was killed by one of the guards. Bob
came back, stole a set of harness and was
again sent up, but made his escape.
Convicts wnen their time expires, usually
come back TO their old haunts, and even
when they escape cannot resist the tempta-
ton TO get as near their homes as possible
ms Is why SD many of them are appre-
hended. As long as they keep out of Sa-
vannah they are reasonably safe. The
reward of S25 is hardly enough to Justify
an officer to go out in the country after
them. If more than one trip has to be
Hlaue, by Cne Time the expenses are paid
and the lnformer is divided with, there is
nothing left. 1t is said that there is more
than one escaped convict now in Chatham
county, but il they suspect that the officers
are on the lookout for them they do not
sleep in doors at night
Sometimes there are instances where the
convict never comes back, but it is rare,
and an officer remarked yesterday that he
could not recall more than three instances
OF the klnd-Jackson Graham, Rube Sin
gleton and negro named "Andy"-who
were sent up from this county, served their
time and have never been heard from since.
The convicts keep pretty well posted as to
the whereabouts of their fellows, and can
generally tell where to find each other, but
Harry Bliss, who returned last week from
the penitentiary, says he never heard what
became OF the three above mentioned.
Harry Bliss and John Brown have Just
served term for the larceny of u atch
and chain, ring and hat, the property of
Alderman Reid. Bliss says he was "a cook
at the lUO-mile post, and had an easy time.
and he does not belle his looks, fog he is the
picture of good living.
The detectives and officers always keep q
sharp lookout after returned convicts, and
are SO well posted that they can very nearly
tell by the character of the crooked work
done who has had hand in it,