Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-22

I ttfrfH Ky $500 ~. y ar-tf
III 4 dilapidaitd LITTLE howell uearik
river front dixeils character well
4 Known ID certain strata Of Washing
t6n s0eiety as Jiin Crow. Jim IL 4
I thiei, and viii, IS ie states. steal amy
thing from chicken TO locomotive
IA this city, where his light fingered
habits have become well lSnown u the
/ police, he confines HIMSELF under
! protest, howeyer-to chickens, and
tho floor Of his hut is covered with
feathers several inches thick Feath-
ers being d marketable commodity, as
well IS distinguishing marks by which
iralc chicken faneiers can sometimes
Identify their fowls Jim picks his
birds before selling and carpets his
residence with their feathers until q
sufficient quantity IS obtained to make
II worth while To g0ll Them
Jims former grazing grounds were
ID Baltimore county, Md where his
ustensible business was that Of a
huckster; but iis ilas%rai rove of ret
fined associations ana architectural
beauty, as we'll as too chose an ac-
quaintance with tile mini0ns Of law
in baltimore county tea him to select
the capital as BIS fuure home. And
then, too, Jim, having grown old in
lniQuily, is grpwing old id years, and
finds more ,l.eaaare in gathering
around him appreciative listeners, and
telling them the stories Of his former
escapades than Of re-cnacting them,
He tells with great humor and express
sion low, when a young and an en-
terprisipg huckster, desirous Of MAX
ing ais fine an appearance before The
public as possible, lac exchanged the
riekety and battered wheels Of his
cart for tile more pfetentlous ones of a
neighbours vehicle while that unfor-
tunate man was III d country tavern.
He also dealt in cattle other peoples
cattle which lie sold TO the slaughter
houses in Baltimore.
Once when fortune had been frown-
ing upon his efforts and his pockets
We're empty, he conceived and carried
out the bold scheme Of visiting the
yards Of one Of the slaughter houses,
stealing therefrorn fine black bull
with white star on his forehead COW
ering the white mark with handful
Of tar, and selling the animal to its
rightful owner, who did not discover
the theft until he had cut the bull up
into steaks.
Ono 81 Jim's best efforts was planned
while sojourning one summer in the
Baltimore county Jail His term was
nearing its end, and he was revolving
ia his fertile brain what to do with
his liberty after obtaining it. He had
Sc secreted in his cell, which he wish
ed to invest at the highest possible rate
OF interest Fills ingenuity did not
fail him, and he determined to escape,
and take with him two OF his fellow
prisoners. With this object in view,
be went To work, and aftermueh labor
displaced enough bricks from the
wall Of his cell to permit of egress.
Ele then permitted tho two men lie
had selected TO discover his plot
They, Of course, insisted upon accom-
panying him, and after much hesita-
ton and only upon their threatening
10 turn imformers he consented, and
proceeded to enlarge tho hole III the
wall in order that one Of the men, a
large Fat fellow, could creep through.
On the night fixed the three prison4
ers with soft and cat like tread stole
through TIE prison walls and soon
breathed the sweet air of freedom
They made for tile woods, and there
jim outlined TO them his plan Of oper-
ations Flo gave them money enough
to 20 to Havre de Grace, telling them
to meet him at q certain point near
that station two days later, which two
days he would spend in endeayoring
70 replenish their treasury in maa-
ner which he declined To eHplain
Tho men agreed, and after seeing
them safely off, Jim went to 4 friends
house and waited for the reward which
he knew would bc offered for the APP
prehension Of himself and his com
panions.
The next day posters were stuck up
everywhere offering $500 reward for
the capture Of tic escaped prisoners.
Jim thercupon sent q noteto thesherilf
and made an appointment with him,
When the sheriff canle he delivered
himself mp and offered to tell whore
his companions were, ii the sheriff
would share the reward with him and
give a solemn assurance that his term
would not be heightened This ar
rangemept was agreed to, and jlm sent
the officers to IEavre dc Grace with
directions how and where "a find the
two men, and then returned to jail,
served out his term, and left with $3.50
and a thorough contempt for the guilt
lessness OF the clulnps he left behind.
AAr,nl,,. D.