The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-11-15
THE MAN OF SENSATION !
VIII Purvls IL ForclbIy Liberated from
Jail by Friends and Is At Large.

Last Sunday night VIII Purvis, the
notorious white cap confined in the
Marion county Jail at Purvis, awaiting
his doom on the gallows, was forcibly
taken from Jail by sympathizers and
spirited away.
Ever since the last decision Of the
Supreme Court affirming the decision
Of the circuit and affixlng December
18th as the day on which young Purvis
was to be executed, which decision ap-
pcarcd in the DEMoCRAT-STAR Of last
week Sheriff Magee ordered the depu-
ty sheriff to keep a guard around the
Jail every night. The guards have
been accustomed to staying sometimes
in the jail and sometimes In the clerks
Office near the Jail. Sunday night
while Geo. Holleman and Morris Riley
were on guard in the clerks Office 10y
the fire a band Of white caps number
ing about 100, armed with Winchester
rifles, appeared in the courthouse
yard. Part of the mob went to the
doors and windows of the clerks office
and ordered the guards to remain
quiet and not to move if they did
they would be killed, and the remain
der Of the mob repaired to the Jail
and liberated the prisoner. The
guards, seeing that they were over
powered, promptly oebyed orders.
The mob at the Jail unlocked the out
side doors with keys which they had
procured by some unknown means and
sawed the hinges off the combination
box and let the prisoner out of the
cell. They carried the prisoner in
their arms to Il buggy in waiting just
outside the courthouse yard and
drove rapidly away. The mob at the
doors and windows of the clerks
office, where the guards were, remain
ed a considerable time after the pris-
oncr had been carried away to prevent
them from raising an alarm until the
prisoner was beyond pursuit Of the
deputy sheriff and his posse. Deputy
Sheriff Adolphus Davis Immediately
tclephoned Sheriff Magee, at Column
bia, and he started in hot pursuit
with a large posse of men. The mob
took the p%recautiOn to sprinkle ca
yenne pepper in and around the jail
to prevent being trailed by blood
hounds.
On account of Purvis' long conflne-
ment in jail he will be unable to trav-
cl any great distance, either on foot
or horseback. Purvis' escape at this
time, just as his friends were making
a supreme effort to save his neck by
circulating petitions asking the Gov
crnor to commute his sentence, will
initiate very seriously against a fav-
Orgblc consideration Of his case by
Gov. Stone, should he be recapturcd
before the 18th day Of December. as
many Of the most prominent signers
to the petitions would now withhold
their names.
Sheriff Magee and part of his posse
returned from their hunt for the fugi.
tive, having met Deputy Sheriff Davis
afew miles this side of Purvis, who re-
ported an utter lack Of interest and
Indifference as to his capture in the
town of Puryis. Davis says the
guards were asleep in the courthouse,
near the Jail, and when disturbed by
the crowd made no effort to retain
the prisoner or to find out who COM
posed the crowd. 1t is supposed most
of them came from near Purvis, which
accounts for the lack Of interest.
Sheriff Magec has written the Cover
nor fully, and asks that he offer such
a reward as will insure Purvis' safe
delivery to the proper authorities. In
the meantime he will relax no effort
to capture the absconding prisoner
himcnlf