The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-12
THINKS HIS SON INSANE.
DAUGHTERS FATHER TALKS OF
THE EXPRESS ROBBERS LIFE.

--->->---
BE Had Frequent Attacks OF Fever
During His Early Youth and After
ward Couldn't Be Satisfied at Home.
Capt. DeLaughter Doesn't Believe
Ills Son Fired at the Express Mess.
enger-A Poor Opinion OF the De-
tectives Who Captured the Robbers
Capt. Anon DeLaughter, father Of Jubal
Early DeLaughter, the express roober now
in Jail awaiting trial Dec 30, together with
his accomplices, Turner and Perkins, for
the robbery of the express car on the Cen
trail railroad in September last, Is In the
city. Capt DeLaughter has engaged Sea-
brooke & Morgan to defend his son. The
plea of the defense will bs insanity.
A MORNING NEWS reporter saw Capt.
DeLaughter last night at No. 10l President
street, where he is stopping. He is hole
and hearty looking man over 80 years of
age and has free and open manner, He
wears wooden leg, having left his right
leg at Petersburg during the war. He was
a member of the Fifth Florida infantry.
Capt DeLaughter talked freely about the
son that has disgraced him. He said that
at first he Thought he would let the law
take its course without Interference on his
part, but parental affection overcome his
sense Of injured honor and he concluded to
come Co Savannah and do what he could
for his boy.
DELAUGHTER A ROVER.
rowing disposition. He is only
% years old, but has been
knocking around over the country for the
last four years, returning home OCCASION
ally. In 1888 he left home for East Florida,
| where he worked at a saw-mill for about n
year. Then be went to New Orleans, and
| from that place to the west, where he re-
manned about year. Returning he took
| trip to the West Indies in December, 1880,
and after soending several months there re-
| turned to this country, and went TO work as
| a fireman on the Central railroad In March,
| 1899.
The robber hal his hand injured while
coupling cars last January and returned
home for a month until the member healed.
| The father said he doesnn5 believe word
| Of the terrible stories DeLaughter told
about himself before the robbery, and
thinks he just did it to make the boys stare.
| Capt. DeLaughter says bis son used to tell
] similar stories around home, but he never
paid any attention to them. He admits that
the young man had fondness for practic-
ing with pistol and was dead shot,
A DEAD SHOT.
"That's all stuff about his firing at
Coulter, the express messenger, and miss
ing him, p" said Capt DeLaughter. "If he
had fired at Coulter he would have been
dead man certain"
With reference to his sons insanity, Capt.
DeLaughter said that when Jubal was
boy about 8 years old he suffered with
severe attack of fever and afterward was
afflicted with frequent spells OF fever, until
he was II years old. He had been very
bright boy but after these continued at
| ha II
had a strange, vacant look about his eyes.
He was restless an dissatisfied and anxious
| to get away from home. At times he was
his old self, but more often was morose and
| silent.
"Jubal had a good Christian rearing
said Capt. DeLaughter, land l Thought
would turn out WELL He Joined the church
and was baptized, and / thought would
make a good Christian. He Is the only one
Of five children to turn out bad"
THE DETECTIVES WEREN'T sHREwD.
Capt DeLaughter did not express the
highest opinion of the shrewdness or courage
OF the detectives that captured his son and
hts two accomplices.
"Why blind man could have followed
the trail" he said, with the high jinks the
three men cut up and the manner in which
they talked about themselves. If the de-
teotives had followed the trail at all they
could easily have captured them at Live
Oak or Madison. When the de-
tectives got to my place they were
afraid to come up to the house,
and 1t was not till Bedford pesped in the
door and saw the men all asleep that the
others would come up. Even then, Bed
ford had to call them several times"
Capt DeLaughter has called upon his son
at the Jail several times since his arrival
here. He said that sometimes he finds
him pleasant and agreeable and at other
times sullen and morose. HE does not
seem to realize the enormlty Of his crime, I"
said Capt. DeLaughter.