Daily Republican., 1889-12-30
An Important Prisoner.

last Monday morning, wearing false
ELiskHrs Avas only held for carrying
congress weapons, 1t was gener-
..,... that he was guilty OF q
trtvet Crime That would come to light In
few days. 1t will be recollected tha,
tho man came up from Norfolk on train
and behaved In such suspicious manner
that the conductor telegraphsd to the
police Of this city to be on the lookout
LOT Elm On the arrival of the train here.
when arrested here he claimed to be a
detective and stopped off to work up a
case. He said he was \ "Yankee,o and
II 1t became known that he was arrested
there would be music.
When searched here pistol was found
upon him and some money, but as there
was no charge of u higher grads OF crime
against him Judge Bali held him under
500 ball to answer for carrying concealed
deadly weapons. Through the influence OF
w. 5. Hilles Esq, the hail was subss-
quently reduced to S210.
Chief of Police w. Y. Swi2gett, wrote
full description of the man and mailed
| q copy Of the came to all the police
authorities in the Southern States. lie
received no reply until Saturday morn
Ing. whou Judgon W. Wheeler, deputy
therilf of Elizabeth City county, Va,
came TO this city aud recognized the
prisoner as William H. Bonapsrte. lie
Immediately telosraphed TO Sheriff An
drew Williams at Hampton, who will ut
once gD to Richmond and secure requlsi-
ton papers from Governor Fi,z Hug h
Lee, bring Them to this ttate aud have
them properly endorsed by Governor
BiEgs.
Bonsrartc was convicted for the crime
OF abductiDg u white girl between IL and
II years OF age, the daughter OF very
respectable parents. This gill was con
sidertd very beautiful. At the time
Bonapatte WAS considered one Of the
greatest colored orators In the South.
On the LIST of January he delivered an
address In the Opera House at Hampton,
cn "Emsucipstlon which was cor sidered
a mtster piece o. oratory. After the ies-
tivites which followed were over, ho by
chance met the little gill and abducted
her. ln about week he was captured,
and the girl returned 10 her parents. On
January 81 hs was convicted and SEN
fenced to five years In tie penitensiaiy at
Richmond. lie made his eseal October
n, 10y saving an iron bar from window
0Si6 inches, and then jumping Il distance
| 0f twenty feet to an adjoining building.
Creeping through a window with the iton
bar be had removed from his cell window
he continued quietly along large corri-
dor and forced u heavy staple from the
| door of the main entrance to the prison.
| In Jumping from his cell window lac
struck his loot and injured It, lie then
dlsgulsed himself bT walking lame until
he came to noighboring tcwn, where he
| purchased the false wblskers that he
were W hen captured IN this city.
| Bonhpsrte was well known in Hamp-
ton, aud moved in a much better class ol
eGciety than the majority Of his race
His vile was very haudsome aud was
styled the "bclle OF the South" She
was highly educated and cultured, and
was au able assistant to her husband
whtn he was an assistant editor OF the
Bo,tt Advocate, With which he wa
connected tor several years. He wa
always great power among the coloreC
peOp'e during an election.
~ the police station last night he re
iused TO speak to anybody except DsPut,
Sheriff Wheeler. He said ha was un
we'll and was perfectly satisfied to return
to Richmond and serve out his unex
plol term of imprisonment. Sherl
Williams Is expected In this city to-day
and lie will go Immediately to Dover T.
receive TeIuisition papers, and viii star
toui ht with Bouaparte Tor Rlchmc nd