The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-19
A Mean Job Of a Mean Man.

In the report of tine Jail escape in
vestigation in yesterdays Ecenang
Journal, we find the following
Jailer Davis walked over to Miller and lifted
one of his shoes to show the Court the hole In
which one of the saws had been concealed.
Miller took his shoe off and tried to convince the
Court that the saw was too long to get into the
hole. In doing so he broke the saw. He was
asked If be hadn't tried 10 saw his handouts on
as he was being taken TO Jail Ia the van. He
said, No" He was again QUESTIONED about
the position of the stepladder. but he stuck to IL
that he had found it standing on an iron door,
which was laid across the top OF q barrel.
Even when the stepladder was brought into
court, and 1t was shown that it was impossible
for it to stand alone, because one leg was broken,
he still held out thai his story was true. and
said the break was a new one. He pointed TO
whitewash and paint, which seemed TO have
been smeared on the rough edges OF the break
to make it look like au old break.
Prosector Winfield picked at the break and
found fresh paint III it.
"How did that get thsre?'' he asked Jailer
Davis. What was 1t painted forf'
Davis replied that it had probably been
splashed on when the paintpot was over
whats thlsg' said the Prosecutor. pointing
to another part of the break.
That's whitewash, p" said the jailer.
How did that get there?' persisted Prosecu-
Davis said he didn't know. Miller listened
very attentively TO this part Of the proceedings
and tried to convince the Court that it was i'm
posi- BILE for the paint and whitewash to have
been splasned on the broken place and not on
any other part of the ladder. he declared that
the paint must have been put on for a purpose.
A strong sensation had by this time been Gre
ated in court. Miller studied the saw and step
ladder and then burst out with this startling
statement.
saThe minute saw the saws I said, This job
is put up on me. / held MIR. Davis fer @ good,
straight man, but this is a mean job 1t Is a
mean job" he repeated and shook his finger at
Tailor Davis. Maybe you don't know anything
about it. No, I won't accuse you," he said,
The sensation was profound.
We quote from the Journal because
that paper has been for many years
Mr.. Davis organ, and it cannot be
suspected of disappearing the facts
to his disadvantage. We desire to
direct the attention of the Grand
Jury to this extraordinary testimony.
The public will want to know
whether the whitewash that was
smeared on the end Of the broken
ladder can spread over the whole Of
this extraordinary business.
This is a mean job put on me-"
Convict Miller stated in his rage when
he found that he was to be made a
scapegoet. II held Mr.. Davis for a
good straight man, but this is a mean
job" All! Miller, you are not the
first professional criminal who took
Mr.. Davis for "a good straight man."
and afterwards had a mean job" put
ON to him. Many an honest man has
shared the same fate. The general
public have had to bewail a ''mean
job" put upon them, because. for a
time, they mistook MI. Davis for a
straight man. Will our courts and
juries allow another mean job to be
put up ON them in this instance
through a blind confidence in the
theory that Mr.. Davis is a straight
man.