The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1894-08-31
WEEMS ALIAS WELLS In JAIL AT MEM.
PIIIS, TENN.

/ The above named party made num-
Der of friends and aequaintenees while in
this city. And cut rather wide swath
and his fate will probubly be a matter of
interest to large number Of people here,
I aud for this reason we clip the follOwi ng
from the Picay08Be of the p tn inst:
When sheriff Reid stepped from the
( train at the IlliOnOis Centraldepot yester-
day and was met by few friends who
had learned Of his coming, face wore a
smile Of quiet cOmplaisanee that might
be expected ola man who had Just per-
formed difiicult task in mastery man
ner. The sheriff had inst returned from
Memphis, where he took the delaulter
Weems last Tuesday. An account of the
defaleatiOn as giving By Weems was given
exclusively in the Times Democrat the day
after he passed through the city, but it
NOW appears that his version was entirely
too partial TO himself, and the coils Of
evidence are Tightening around him.
Sheriff Reid was seen by n Times Demo.
Graf reporter last night and asked If he
had been able to learn anything more
concerning the case during his short stay
in the Bluff City. He siad that Weems
had not only denied the story that lie
told here, but that it had been proven
that he attempted to commit the diabOl-
ieal crime Ofarson, as well as defrauGing
his firm and other houses ont of over
$1,000 When he was nut in Jail two
negroes who were formerly employed by
him faced him la his cell and accused
him of having bribed them 10 burn down
warehouse IN which there was stored
large amount Of cotton. lie desired to
have it appear that there was larger
amount inthe warehouse than was act
uaily the case, and for that reason he
piled it so that there were large spaces
like cataeonbs in the centre. In these
cataeombs he placed number Of bags
and as many iron bands as would be used
in the number Of bales necessary to fill
the eataeombs. The negroes aid that he
had offered TO pay them TO set this cotton
on fire after he left Memphis, but their
courage failed them, and after his short
age was discovered they decided to expose
him, Meems broke down ON the train,
and told the sheriff that the receipt that
he had from n man named Hamilton WAS
forgery, and that what he had told
was falsehoOd from start 10 finish
blr. Chisn, of the firm VI Clism, CllHrehill
* Co., which had employed him, met the
sheriff before he reached Memphis, hay.
ing come South for that purpose He
was not met at the station by his lawyer
as heexpected, and was ineareerated in
the comfy Jail His Observation-Disclosures
ntto more than $1,000. He left S20O0Ofthis
with his wife, who is "a very estimable
lady and highly thought 0fin that city.
As soon as she heard Of his shortage she
sent for his employers and handed them
the money, saying that she knew that il
was part of the amount stolen The
blow comes all the harder to her as she is
IN very delicate health. 1t is said that
public indignation waRalm0sf al frenzisd
beat when It was learned that Weelns
had attempted to burn down the cotton
shed Of which he wastlle lessee. He will
have hard time getting his skirts clean
of Che tr0uile, and it does not look as
though he will beable to make mp the
shortage, as Ae expected. Neema spout
nearly 5000 IN q few weeks playing the
parI 81 n higbraller. lie lost a grent deal
0f money net p,,ly sisfe, ouf IN Lake
Charles. He deposited over 500 ia tbs
bank AZ the latter place, and IN the few
days that he WAS there spent all but $40
Of il.
The arrest Of Neems Is one Of the lest
that has been made Ia this section Ia
good while, and the friends 81 sheriff Reid
are natHTaily elate1 ntit. One Of them
told a good STORY Inst niglltof she man
ner is which he had circumgented
Neenis n making fight for extfndition
papers and other delays tlint criminals
resort 40 annoy the authorities anu make
q light for liberty. When Arrested
Sheriff Reid detainsd him VITA tlle
view III kaaping s9iietoHa lhNyfgs
from lIiiG. Ono VI them discovered l5in
notwithstanding tliis pfeeaHtion mud
t0ll illn ~ could eet writ ~ habeas
earyllIs inf ai0 ffe nid 1t,f aeaifi 3 l,sldq