Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-17
SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY.

Whether the Tennessee officials nave
captured M. R. Reese or not, there is no
doubt of the fact that there is somebody
out there who is very anxious about that
800 reward.
The story of the incidents of last week
have already been told but it seems that
the matter is not yet settled. The deputy
sheriff out at Lexington still insists that
he has in custody the person Of M. r.
Reese.
The first telegram from Lexington, II
will be remembered, was from P. 81.
Dennison, "chief of police" 1t read, in
effect: my deputy has captured man
answering the description of M. R. Reese
and claim reward" Sheriff Logan in
structed Dennison to examine for bullet
scar in the back of the mans neck and q
piece of bullet under the skin. A few
hours aftes this, Dennison telegraphed
back 'that the man captured was not the
man wanted" This appeared to be con-
elusive but, later, Dennison telegraphed,
my deputy won't let me see the man"
and the situation began to take OH an air
of mystery.
To be on the safe side, Sheriff Logan
sent Dennison portrait of Reese, to-
gether with full description. In reply,
Dennison said that while the man cap
tured answered the description generally
be was evidently not Reese. and this
again seemed still more conclusive.
But still, the Lexington incident has
not been probed 10 the bottom. On Mon
day, Sheriff Logan received two more
letters. One was from Dennison and the
other was from James Alexander, the
deputy. Dennison's letter was in effect
about the same as the first one received
and repeating the statement that the man
under arrest was not Reese. Alexander's
letter says that the writer "and others
have Reese in custo dy, and want instruc-
tions.
Sheriff Logan hardly knows what to
think of the situation. He has tele-
graphed Alexander, however, to photo
graph his prisoner and send copy OF
the picture to Yorkville. By this means
the sheriff will be able to determine
whether or not it is worth while to give
the matter any further attention.
While people here who are familia
with the details of the present incident as
they have developed do not think it prob
able that Reese is in custody in Lexing-
ton, Tennessee, most of them, the sheriff
included, admit that such thing Is easily
possible. Dennison's first telegram indi-
Gated not only that he thought that the
man captured was Reese; but also that
he-Dennison-was very anxious for that
reward. While the next telegram seemed
to indicate clearly that mistake had
been made, the next showed that t he man
Alexander, who holds the prisoner in
dispute, is also figuring for the reward on
his own account. From Alexanders
writing, it appears that he is practically
illiterate. The writing of Dennison shows
that he has rather the advantage in the
matter of education, and from these cir
cumstances it is reasoned that possibly,
after all, Alexander really has Reese in
custody somewhere-just where has not
vet appeared-and Dennison Is waiting
for Alexander to turn the prisoner loose
so that he can pick him up and claim the
reward. Though in many respects un-
reasonable, and in others improbable,
still the correctness of such theory is
possible, and Sheriff Logan's idea IN
sending for photograph is, perhaps,
after all, the best way of arriving at
satisfactory solution of the complication.