Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-01-02
~ nsoAsrp ooNKIor.
r7Onaparte Alias Choesemau The
NSulnttO Prisoner Wanted by ihe
XIrninlin AIiIhnrlIinh.


7onaparte Alias Choessman the
NTulnttO Prisoner Wanted by iLe
Virginia Authorities.
The mulatto priBoner, Henry Cheese
man, who was captured by Sergeant
Tucker Monday week at the r., w. S b.
station on the Norfolk train turns out to
be runaway from the Hampton, Va. jail.
"Oheessmnn" ia an alias; the mans real
name is William II. Bonaparte, and he
WIS serving five years. sentence Cor ab-
Quoting q white girl between Is and Ia
years OF age. He was tried here and held
In $500 bail by Judge Ball on the charge
of carrying concealed deadly weapons.
Chief Swiggett upon the mans arrest
had notified the various police authorities
and sheYiifS of oil the southern states of
the facts ia the case. Late on Saturday
Deputy Sheriff Judson w. Wheeler OF
Elizabeth City county, Va, arrived here,
identified Chessemnn az Bonapnrte the
escaped convict and informed Mir. Swg-
gett that he daily expected the necessary
papers for his prisoners apprehension.
sheriff Andrew Williams OF Elizabeth
City county had gone to Richmond to
obtain the reqRisition papers from aover-
nor Fitzhugh Lee.
MIR. Wheeler gives strange story OF
Bonsparte. The prisoner is au extremely
intelligent, well-educatei man, about 30
years OF age. Ho has bsen for some
years associate editor Of tho Boston I'D.
tOoats, an orgNn of tho oo,ored people in
Massachusetts. Daring campaign timea
BonRparte, who Ia endowed With remark
able oratorical powers, was hRbitually
sent down to Hampton as campaign
stump.speRker. He has unusual in
fuepoe among the oolored people OF the
locality. In January last he made IA
address on Emancipation, in the
Hampton Opera House, 10 an immense
audience. Early in the ytar he made the
acquaintance of young white girl,
between ID and IA years of age.
He successfully plotted for Ler
abduction. Bonsparte was captured
about week sfter the girl
returned 10 her parents. The incident
made g,est stir in Virginia ut ths time,
his own race being aB much inoensed
against him as the white population. On
January 3lst he was tried, convicted and
sentenced to Ave years. imprisonment in
the Richmond penItentiary. Meanwhile
his counsel appealed to the higher court.
Pending this the prisoner lay in Hampton
Jail. IL was from this prison he escaped
on October 3lst. by home means or other
Ills friends conveyed TO him y section OF
fiue steel saw. 1t Is thought 1t was
hidden in the folds OF q newspaper. With
this he cut through the iron bars of his
sell window. HIS cell was in the upper
story of the jail which 10 a
small tWo.story Bttuo'u;e. He had
50 make jump Of 20 feet in order tc
gain Lis liberty. He famed himself in
The leap TO the ground, but limped %
assuming the character OF cripple. HI
got away to the neighboring swamps and
woods where he successfully secreted
himself for several weeks. The authorities
searched ia every direction for him bu
unnecessarily. 1t was supposed that lie
had made his escapJ to Canada. Bona
parte at length made mp his mind for al
effort TO get north. Undoubtedly tht
unfortunate man had suffered extrem,
privstions White hiding himself, Hi
health had given away. When appre
hended in this city by sergennt Tucker
his facs was swathed with flAEnels. Hi
peculiar actions and the disorderl!
appearance of false whisker
with which he had attempted Il
disguise himself easily attracted Oh,
lowed the man up Market street and thei
police station pistol wss found in hi
pockets. He was arraigned and held OF
the charge of carrying concealed dead,
weapons. subsequently Chief Swiggetf
circular narrating the facts OF the arres
developed the circumstance OF Deput
Sheriff Wheeler's arrival here.
Attorney-general Bi0gg will place moth
ing in the way OF the Virginia authoritie
gaining possession of the prisoner, as tn
gravity OF his original offence is recog
niHed 40 OF greater Importance in the de
mands of Justice. Ii is reported the
BonapArte himself has stated that he hR
10 objection to return straight to Rich
mond.
Deputy Sheriff Wheeler is a Washing
ton lawyer, who through i'll health ha
10 give up following his profession. II
relates the incident that he was preseu
in the railroad station at the moment c
the assassination OF President Garfield
He was in arms length of Guiteau whv
he committed the deed. He WAS Rrrsste
Immediately and beld in @5,0DO bond @
q witnosB in the trial. MIR. Wheeler wa
the fourth witness in the case. He shove
the original document summoning him
rive evidence to . GAZETTE reporter. Th
front VI the historical missiye reads;
III the court of the District OF ColumbiI
holding u criminal court for said distric
the "a day of November, 1881.
THE PRESIDENT or THE UNITED STATES I
JUDsoS W. WHEELEn.-You are hereby con
man1ed TO attend the sal court Noyemb,
lith, 1881, to testify on behalf OF the Unitt
States and NOT depart the court witho
leave OF the court or district attorney.
h. j. MEIas, Clerk.
BY W. L. WILLIAMS. Assistant Clerk.
Witness, j. d. CARTIER, Chief Justice
said court.
On tho diverse Is written mo 14Od
United StateH VS.. Charles j. Guiteau
summons for the United Sales.--future
". Wheeler, Hampton, Elizabeth Oh
TO-, Virginia"
a Patent CnAe in COurt.
THE nAse of the Williams MA6lfeotu