The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-03
A DESPERATE AT LARGE.
AsHuRY GENTRY ESCAPES FROM
JAIL AT ATLANTA.

Ran Away From Home at is and
linn ediately Began Work in Texas
as Horse THIEF in Company With
an Elder Brother.
ATLANTA, GA, Jan. 2.-SiK prisoners es-
capped from the Fulton county Jail last
night and are still at large. The escape
wss planned and carried out by desperate
men, who would not have stopped at muir
der 10 gain their freedom. Last night at .
O'Clock when Jailers Maddox and White
went to the corridor Of the jail they were
overpowered and the Jail doors thrown
open. The six men who escaped were AS
bury Gentry and Henry Miller, white;
Dan Mccullough, Charles Price, Guy Body
and John Whitfield.
When the taller went into the corridor
Mccullough. burly negro, grappled with
Jsiler White and held him while Miller took
the keys to the outer doors. Another negro
prisoner, known as "the preacher" was
holding Jsiler Maddox in the corner of
cell.
GENTRY TIE LEADER.
Asbury Gentry, the leader, was a pris-
cner from HARRISON county, under sentence
of death for the murder of peddler.
Henry Miller was a counterfeiter and was
under sentence Of two years.
Dan Mccullough was about to serve a ten
years sentence for assault with intent to
murder.
Charlie Price was highwsymsu and was
under four years sentence.
Guy Body was awaiting trial for burg
larry and John Whitfield for larceny.
A PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCE.
-ir In
tion with the escape is the fact that the
men were not locked in the cages at the
usual hour. The men should not have been
allowed In the hallway after : O'Clock, and
IL they had been locked in at that hour they
could not have carried out their plans.
Sheriff Morrow to-day suspended both of
the jailers and Will Gilleland and John
Corriaan, who were on Sheriff Barnes
ticket as isilers, were placed in charge of
the prison. The grand jury will invesJi
gate the conduct of the jailerS. as it is
rumored that they were parties to the es-
cape, having been overawed by Gentry.
eENrRY's RECORD.
CARRoLLroN, GA. Jan. News of the
sscape OF Asbury Gentry from the Atlanta
jan last night caused great excitement in
CerroIlton and Buchanan.
de was one of the most noted desperadoes
that ever operated in Georgia. He was
reared Dedf DuCuhu6ut IldIhtsOn county,
aud at the age OF Is ran away from his
father and went to Texas with an older
brother. His first work as an outlaw was
done in Texas, where he and his brother
stole dozen horses. The boys we're over
taken and the older brother was hanged or
shot, but Asbury, on account of his youth,
escaped the rope and was sentenced to the
penitentlarY for a year. He scaled the
prison walls and returned to Buchanan,
Exh he ua nd nh lie fakh
lives
HIS WORK IN GEORGIA.
Very soon after his arrival at bis home
Asbury organized band of robbers and
their work commenced. Stores at Buch-
anan aud other towns near by were
and four horses were stolen
from the Buchanan livery stable, run Off
and sold. The gang had rendevouz near
Buchanan and signs where hundreds Of
horses had been tethered were seen over a
lot Of land. Horses were stolen all over
Northern Georgia and there was no clew as
70 who committed the thefts until the
Gentry gang was caught up with.
REsoRTED TO INcENpIARIsM.
In the meantime Buchanan and Carroll
ton had incendisry fires, which were traced
later on to the Gentry gang.
Five horses of ]. A. Rhndy OF Carrollton
were stolen, and Sheriff Hewitt of Carroll
county, after hard work, caught George
Gentry. brother OF Asbury, at Jasper, Ala,
with the horses In his possession. This was
the first break in the gang. George gave
bail, and later be and Asbury stole five
horses, buggy and money near Admission,
Ala Officers ran upon the boys near &c.
dartown. where they had turned the horses
loose and were asleep in an old field. They
were arrested and put in Jail at Rome, and,
after nearly tearing up the Jail and severely
wounding the sheriff they were chained in
q cell.
MURDER.
In the meantime an old foot peddler Of
Atlanta named Richard Byrnes was muir
dered near Buchanan and his body thro sn
In the Tallapoosa river. Asbury Gentry
was suspected of the murder, but on the
preliminary trial was turned loose. The
grand jury found a true bill and he was
tried in HARRISON superior court at an ad-
iourned term last May. found guilty of
and sentenced to hang on July Is
last. The case was carried to the supreme
court and Gentry was In the Atlanta Jail
waiting the decision of the supreme court
when he broke jail. Col. Nj j. Head,
lawyer of Buchanan, and detective named
Trip worked up the case of murder against
Gentry.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWED.
AE uret tno evidence was himsy but
thread by thread was taken up until ID
showed that Gentry shot six holes through
the peddler's brains, robbed him and threw
his body In the river, where 1t was found
ten days after.
The Gentry gang was terror to the men
and women Of HARRISON and Carroll coun-
ties, and may sleepless eyes will be the re-
suit OF his escape from the Fulton county
jail.
Gentry made a greater reputation in his
abort career than Jesse or Frank James.
John A. Murrell or any Of the western des.
peradoes. George Gentry, Asbury's brother,
wiii be tried this week In Carroll county
Tor horse stealing.
CARROLL SUPERIOR COURT.
An adjourned term OF Carroll superior
court convened this morning. There are
800 cases on the different dockets, and the
Jail fs chuck full OF prisoners. The court
will last for several weeks and many i'm
portant cases will be tried. among which ia
the state against g. W. Gentry for horse
stealing.
Gentry and his brother are accused Of
stealing score Of horses and doing many
more unlawful acts. Gentry is to be tried
for the theft of a fine horse belonging to ],
A. Rhudy Of this city two years ago. He
was caught by Sheriff Hewitt at Jasper.
Ala, with the horse Ia bis possession, but he
claims he bought 1t from another party,
DEATHS SUDDEN GALL.