The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-23
AN OUTLAW FOR LOVE.
Tilted Jim Parker and His Lively
Career of Crime.
A WILD CACTUS OF THE DESERT.

His Daring Escape From an Arizona Jail
and His Reckless Ride, With the Au-
thorities of Three Counties on His Trail.
How They Ran Him Down.
"I'vc been brung up like cactus, wild
rs they mako em, and all my thorns set
and don't give a - what they do with
mo, for it's IN even toss whether it amt
rs good to be under the earth as plunging
around on top of 1t.
These arc the sentiments of Jim Parker,
train robber, murderer and all round des-
pcrado. Jim Is now safo in jnil at Pres
colt, A. t., with indictments enough hang
ing over him to hang q dozen men,
He Is u picturesque young rufflnn. is
jim, both as to personal appearance and
the choice OF language. His career has
been short, but tumultuous. It may be
summed UP briefly:
Jim Parker, born without regard to how
the world might use him or he the world,
at 12-alone and neglccted-a weed by
the waysidc, trampled by tho passcrby;
Mt FL, ignorant, audacious savage, re-
scntful of restraint, imbittered; at 90 in
love, with the wild sweeping passion of a
strong nature unused to gentloness; Mt
20, with no star ahead and no memories
to treasure, abandoned to the tide of reck-
lessncss, convicted fclon and an all
round outlaw, with heart for any fate.
Parker is n Californian. Thirty five
years ago, on u little farm in Tularo coun-
ty, he began life. Soon afterwarl his moth
er died. and when Jim was - years old
his other parent expired, leaving tho child
nothing save debts and u wornout horse.
For 23 years I've been alone, barring
those two graves down in Tulare," says
III Inn mud In.
hustle"
But about his love affair Littlo is known
of THAT for about 1t he will not talk. There
IRE men whose love is fierce and chaneclcss
Us the hate Of mn Apache. If 1t be hone
less, stand something is certain to
break. Jim Parker belongs to that class.
Somewhere in southern Utah lives
girl, VOlo-he calls her-for whom his
wild heart thrills
Nole docs not care for Jim. 1t is not,
however, TINT he is bad She seems used
to i'll deeds and not disposed sharply to cen
sure them, so they be bold and big.
After Vole said no and before he was 80
Jim drftcd into Arizona He had way
of acquiring horses and cattle bearing
brands not his which brought him quickly
into favor among frontier criminals, and
before he Ind been in the territory six
months he was tho head of as ill souled a
gang of thieves as ever sat in saddles.
Since then he has made Arizona his bead-
quarters, and the criminal enterprises in
which he Is believed to have had q hand
are so humorous TINT it isn't worth while
to write them down. 1t will be sufficient
to say that Jim was never known to neg.
lect nm opportunity, and that If any nm
fenced land has had moro OPPORTUNITIES
lying about than Arizona it ought to skin
off the map.
The train robbery near Prescott on the
Sth of last February may or may not
have been the first job of the kind Parker
undertook. He says nothing that throws
any light on the subject, and the hold IN
was clever enough to an old hand at such
business, and yet was not without features
Indicative of incxperience. For instance,
1t was triflo bungling to let the messcn
ger get the drop on Vole's brother, as
Noio's brother doubtless thought as he
quit thinking.
Parker was brought into Prescott from
tho Grand canyon on tho Goth of Fcbru
airy. On the 9th of May he cscaped from
Jail
II want in hurry he said, when
telling of the break, "hccnuse l didn't
care heap. / want much set on fussing
ABOUT just to keep on breathing; but, OF
course, when chance showed it's head |
somehow felt 1 might as well keen moy-
ing"
There were six prisoners in the plot 10
leave Prescott, though only three escaped
Tho break was planned for Saturday after
noon, May s. but Jniler Meadeor was at
tending strictly to business that after
noon, and the job had to be postponed
Next day tho opportunity came. Jniler
McadeOr was on guard alone. A "trusty"
prisoner-a Mexican named Cornelia-
fellcd him, and rs he did so Parker and a
iorger named Miller ran out Cornclia
followed.
After passing from the cage Jim Parker
ran into tho Jnller's room and took posses
sion OF double barrel shotgun. 1t was
loaded with buckshot. Thus armed he
dashed into the corridor of the courthouse.
and while on the run cnught sight of
young Leo Norris on the stairs. Norris
was assistant district attorney.
A moment later Norris was dead-shot
by Parker.
He had como to the courthouse that nft-
ernoon to write n love letter to his sweet
heart. 1t was found half finished on his
desk whence he had hurried, drawn by
the cries of Meadeor.
The three criminals ran through the
usual Sunday afternoon crowd near the
courthouse, pursued by fusilIadc of bull
let's from tho jniicr's revolver.
1t takes II crowd n long time to collect
Its wits. Audacity stuns it, so no resist
anco was offered. Tho fugitiycs Ind an
open path through the thronp.
Straight across the plaza they hastened
md directly to the stables of the sheriff
Tho favoritc horse of Mrs. RufYner was
standing there, saddlod and bridled. Jim