Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-12-13
0. 80. TENNESSEE THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, /

that my vigilance relaxed when he |
CHANGED to be at home, they should
come while he Is there, he would be
sure of being ably defended.
z. ST. married a preof=feader on
morning paper. Chicago Joiirnai
AN INGENIOUS CONVICT
Tho Wonderful Piece of Mechanism He
Turned Out of d Board.
A few days after Charles Fry was
sent to the local Jail he found a piece
of board in the yard and took it to his
cell. AT the time he intended to white
out q few small trinkets, but decided to
make an effort and whittle something
Of which he would be proud. The
board was of white pine, three feet six
inches long, twelve inches vide and
| two inches thick.
Fry is a ship-carpenter by trade and
understands the nature of wood and
what can be done with it under the
circumstances. He had no tools, and
all he possessed that would cut was a
small wooden-handled knife. Knowing
that this would not perform the task he
had set before him, he tore u steel
shank from an old shoe, wrapped a
wooden handle about it, sharpened it
and began to look for something else.
There was an old worn-out mop in the
jail, and from this he cut II piece of
one-quarter inch wire He put a handle
on it, wore it down to the thinness of
blade, and few days later he found
the rib Of an umbrella, which he fixed
in the same way.
Being now fully prepared, he began
the task of turning out what he had
pictured in his mind. He worked
mostly at night. and often remained at
his work until three o'clock In the
morning. While at work he Stunned
the other prisoners and did not let
them know what was going on in his
cell until a few weeks ago, when he
emerged with the work of art on which
he had spent all his time and energies
for three months. Looking at the pro-
duction as it hangs between two cells,
one can hardly believe that from the
small piece of board only two inches
thick and three and a half feet long
such chain of connected links and
swivels could be wrought. 1t is an
hat Of inly hi into
swivels or revolving links, two pairs of
clasped hands, and six carvings which
explain themselves to the observer.
. The Liberty Bell, as true represen-
tation as picture, is four and half
inches high and five and half inches
across the rim, and has the crack,
lettering and tongue and all else be-
longing to the beloved revolutionary
:, relic. Fry has pictured it as it stood
on exhibition at the Worlds Fair in
New Orleans in 1884, when new beam
had been given it and while it was
garlanded with a living wreath OF
green. Instead of the green leaves he
: has made chain of wooden links
which coil gracefully around the bell
and add feature to the marvellous
} piece of work. The bell seems fas-
= tened to the beam with wooden
/ stirrups, but they are part of the bell
and beam, and the screw, nuts and
. bolts are given in perfect eXactness to
the original. The beam is held to the
chain by two hands, beautifully carved,
and represent, as Fry says: 1.-The
North and South upholding their united
g liberty Above this again are claspet
hands similarly carved, which Fry say;
lis the North and South, and is meant
o as an emblem of peace" All these
carvings are connected to the chain by
II swivels, a most difficult piece of cary
ing in wood, even with the latest i'm
q proved machinery, but of these thu
IL prisoner has made thirteen, and all 0
10 them were made with the rib of al
Z umbrella.
l. Following the chain from the soutl
J. side to the bell the first carving me
is bronze gothic pillar on which il
'e carved s'In God We Trust" Next is
IL Chinese tower, on the corner of which
$ are four pillars, and inside these pill
u lars is a ball of wood, too large to b.
s. taken out or put in without breaking
one of the combining pillars.
ID This is where began the task,
m said Fry, as he pointed to decorated
block on which are carved in raisei
to letters, blackened at the top, "St
he Louis Jail, June A." each word an,
sr figure being on a side.
le The most amusing piece follows, an,
S, is square block, on one side of whicl
is harp OF Erin, and in a corner tn
lie first two notes OF "Come Back +
d Erin" On the other three sides ar
l respectively an Irish flag, with sun
lg burst, round tower painted green
~ and spray of shamrock.
n Next In order and the best finishe
,k of all the carvings, is scroll headed
ut The Emancipation" and at the en-
e, of the scroll are pair OF shackles, tn
ID ring of which are broken, and, as tn
at carver says, 1.-The Slave is Set Free.
~ st. Louis Globe Democrat.
~ Tempering Steel by Electricity.