The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-03
STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY.
The Tale of Woe Told by a Bald
Kuobber who Broke Jail.
HIS PATHETIC NARRATIVE.
Wandering Day ana Night Without
Food-Lost In the woods-Com-
PEELED to Surrender After
bays of Flight.

OEAhkI moe JuH' S,-JpuH AlaLtneWb
one Of the two Bald Knobbers who
broke jail Saturday morning, was cap
tured by James Collins, three miles
south Of Ozark,
Matthews was almost helpless from
fatigue and starvation, and surrendered
without resistance to his Captor,
The fugitive knobber had wandered,
dazed, after his escape from jail, without
ever getting more than five miles iroul
Ozark, When Collins met Matthews IN
the road, the weary and confused Knob
ber asked the way to Bill AIiller's, n rel.
ative OF his, living three miles south OF
Ozark, Collins knew Matthews well,
and being out on the hunt OF the priso.
ners, loYelcd pistol on tho man, calling
out, "Throw up your hands and surren,
der" Matthews elevated both hands
with all possible haste, saying, "Don't
shoot; I'll give up"
Matthews had onlya pocket.kniiC and
q bottle otmediGlne, and was in no mood
to offer resistance had he been armed
from head to foot, Never was man in
a more hopeless and pitiahle state OF
mind than Matthews yesterday morn.
ing, when his captor brought him back
TO Jail. He was hardly able to walk,
and entered the jail with as much de.
spair Us though he had been mounting
the gallows. The man was SO weak and
miserable that Collins, out OF pity, kept
the tired and half starved KuUbber at
his house till daylight.
Matthews story OF his aimless strug.
gle for liberty Is graphic and pathetic,
lie says he knows nothing about the
parties who entered the jail Saturday
morning. He only knows that three
strange men entered tho Jail aud told
him and the other prisoners that escape
was possible, He saw the other prison.
ers Crowding out at thu hole in the wall
and the wild hope Of liberty and escape
from the gallows took possession OF his
mind. Hethought OF homo and tho ter
riblo doom resting over his head, and
followed his prison associates through
the Jail wall. AS soon AZ he climbed
the plank fence surrounding the Jail he
saw the prisoners scattering and run.
ming in every direction. No horses were
in sight. He ran down the street south
Of the Jail, while his nephew, Wiley,
went east toward Sparta. He ran
dbout three miles south OF Ozark,
through the woods most all the
way, falling over logs and tree.tops. BY
this time he was entirely exhausted and
completely lost, not knowing the di-
rection OF his brother-in.law's, where
he WAS aiming To 10. Unable to travel
further, the exhausted fugitive Grawled
into a brush pile and stayed until day
light. He attempted to resume his
flight, but was worn out and too chilled
to walk. He went to II fodder stuck in
u field and bid, staying there all day
Sunday. The farmer CamO Saturday
morning to feed his cattle, and the
frightened Knobber thought he Wls.
gone. The unsuspiCious granger fed his
cattle, pulling out fodder within few
feet OF the breathless fugitive, and went
away without discovering his hiding
place.
Later in the day Charley Wobber,
constable Of Ozark, aud Newt Howell,
two Of the party out in search OF the Jail.
breakers, came to the fodder stack and
stayed some time talking about the
runaways. Matthews knew them by
their voices, and heard all they said
,about.the probable whereabouts of the
missing Knobbets. Hope again van
ished as Matthews heard his pursuers
talking within four feet Of the fodder
stack.
Webber and Howell at last went
away, and when darkness came Mat
thews crawled out Of his hiding place
and began again a hopeless search for
some friendly shelter, where rest and
food might be had. All roads seemed
strange, and the weary wanderer lost
his bearings, until at o'clock Sunday
morning, bewilLered and exhausted, he
called at James Collins, four miles south
Of Ozark. Here lie remained till day
light aud again took TO the woods. He
found that he was closely pursued, Us
horsemcn were galloping In all directions
along tho roads, and he remained In the
woods till night, not attempting TO get
out OF tho Collins settlement. When
dark again afforded cover for flight Mat
thews entered the Ozark and Highland.
vile road aud began once more search
for the home Of the friendly brotherin.
law. He was llopelessly lost, however,
aud was going directly back toward
Ozark when Collins met him. Mat
thews had eaten but one meal since his
escape from Jail and could not have gone
much further without food and rest.
II never saw man try rs hard to
die as Mathews did after his capture"
remarked Collins, when he brought the
prisoner to Jail. "ie was the most
miserable man ever saw. He could
scarcely stand up when ! got him
home"
Wiley Matthews, the young Knobbor
fugitive, was heard OF yesterday twenty
miles southeast Of Ozark, going toward
Taney county, accompanied by a strong
guard OF friends. A. O. Grain, Of Sparta,
ex.Sheriir OF Christian county, came
into Ozark this evening and reported
that Wiley Matthew'S wife had left
homo yesterday and said she was going
to her husband. Mrs. Matthews lives
near Chadwick, but was In Sparta yes.
terday. The early capture Of Wiley
Matthews Is not now expected, ms tho
younger Knobber possesses uncommon
strength and endurance us will rs q full
share OF cunning and vigilance. He Is
determined aud dauntless, and the Com'
mon opinion has been all the time that
Wiley would shoot when oyertakcn, II
armed.
Sheriff johnson and all his scouts
have returned 10 Ozark, and the further
pursuit Of the remaining Knobbers Will
not DO attempted for several days per.
haps.
The Grant Monument.
NRw YoRg, Jan. g.--rhc committee in
charge OF tho Gen. U. s. Grant monu.
go . -. A.. .-..-...-.. Al