The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-02

HOW FAKIR LAWRENCE JUGGLED
a FERNANDINA JAILER

@ID OOAC- 4tEEC-S AAkCA lac A1t4L
Deputy Sheriff Constantine's Care
on Christmas Eve-His arrest at Fer
nahdins and How Re Esoaped-The
Florida Prison Not Strong Enough
to Hold Him and Z @ is Brought Back
to Savannah for Safe Keeping.
George Lawrence, the clever circus fakir
who escaped from Deputy Sheriff Co stan
tine last week, is in Jail again. Chief of
Police Qlinley of Fernandina brought the
fakir up yesterday morning.
Lawrence got out Of Savannah the after
noon before Christmas, and ate his Christ
mas dinner in Charleston. From there he
went to FerIandina, where he was rested
and lodged IN jail to await orders from the
Savannah officers. Before any disposition
was made, Lawrence broke jail. He was
arrested Monday morning, however, twelve
miles from FernandIna, and brought at
once to Savannah
BACK IN JAIL AGAIN.
Lawrencs's plans were well laid, but be
is evidently playing in hard luck. He was
seen yesterday afternoon at the jail by
MORNING News reporter. He talked freely
out his experience. He occupies cell on
the third floor. When he was informed
that a MORNING News reporter wished to
see him, he expressed a willingness to talk
at once. Lawrence came out of his cell in his
shirt sleeves and into the corridor smiling.
lie looked trihe the worse for wear. He
wore mustache a week old and stubby
beard. His general ppearance was not as
good as when he first landed in Savannah,
but that was all the change there was in the
little man
THE STORY OF THE FAKIR'5 TRAVELS.
II suppose you want to know all about
1t, he said, taking seat, and this is the
tale that he told:
at never entered my head to get away
from Deputy Sheriff Constantine. The peo-
pie had told me that | would get twelve
years on the chain-gang, and all that sort
OF thing, but did not allow it to trouble
me much, for / was satisfied that l would
come cut all right. But when we went
into the police headquarters, and they left
me alone, all manner OF evil pictures began
TO crowd on my brain. 1t was temptation
that ] could not forgo. got up and walked
slowly out. As | went down the steps, !
cast my eyes about me, and who should /
see but an officer sitting watching me.
BOWED TO THE OFFICER.
Il simply bowed to him, half expecting
him to ask me back into The office, but he
did not, and my feet led me on. was not
IN a hurry, but somehow ! managed to
move right along until | had gone a block
away. Then 1t occurred to me that | was es-
Gaping, and l resolved to make it 60 Be
fore | knew it | was at Screven's ferry
reckoning to an old negro who mai Just
starte1 across the river in small boat with
mis- wife, to come after me. | shook dollar
at the old fellow, and he rowed back
took me in. | intimated that | was in
hurry and the old man splashed the water
frantically until the other side was reached
ACROSS THE RIVER
1T was by this time dark and l was safe
Then wondered how | had escaped. | lost
Il time but left the old man and woman
and following path after several hours
walk, / came 70 Levi Roads where / got a
bed in little nut. Ear y the next morning |
left for Hardeevi!le, and reached there in
time for the Charleston train. l reached
Charleston in time to eat COOL Christmas
dinner While there l telegraphed to my
father in New York for $50 and this
amount was telegraphed me. | Il en- got
cabin passage on the steamer Hemessee,
that sailed the next day for Fernandina,
and arrived there Saturday night.
CAUGHT IN FERSANDINA.
Il expected to go direct to Tampa, thence
to Cuba buj | went around over town.
and circulated among people whom knew,
and the result was l was arrested. They
put me in a by 8 cage with two colored
people. The jail is a rude structure, of rot
ten wood, ana / remarked to Chief Quinley
at tie time that | had a good will to come
out. he laughed about 1t more then than
he did the next morning when he found the
doors bla ed open, and no birds in it,"
How did YOU get Outm
ut was $50 note and not saw or a
file or jack-knife that used in getting
out. An old colOred "trusty' gave me nv
SUI per the night | was jailed, and | shook
the note in lis face
I'll SEE Yo' LATER. Boss.n
THE old mans eyes fairly started from
their sockets, and he winked assuringlv.
remarking, boss I'll see yo' later bout
it. The old man paid no attention
to ME during the rest OF the
day. About 2 o'clock Sunday morning
| heard a scratching on the door Of
the Jail, and presently the door
sprang open put the note in somebody's
hand and he hustled down to his quar- ers
10 swear he never saw the birds when they
were tie other two prisoners. left in great
confusion, but [ secreted myself in a loft
over the entrance to hear what could hear
and see the disappointment Of the chef.
Sure enough ] saw it. When day broke the
old 'trusty' discovered that the prisoners
had escaped and fastened to inform the
guard. When the chief came down he was
very blue, and pOking his head in the door
remarked that the - - had done
it.'n
HID IN THE JAIL LOFT.
~ heard them sneak of hounds aud laid
low until tha 3ufd1la Of tho affar,,o., a 4