The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-08-19

+: Prevented Jail Delivery. :
) BY {. A.. BRuNNSTOOL. .
BY { A. RRuhhSIn0l

A general on the field of battle. 1t was
well known throughout the community
that she was lord of the manor and
her household meekly obeyed her COM
mands, including my Uncle Joe.
Uncle Joe was one of those good-na-
tured, unselfish, free-and-easy going
sort OF men who always pitied where
others condemned, and only some very
important and sensational event could
arouse his sluggish mind to action.
NV relatives had been living on a
farm in the state of Connecticut. Aunt
Polly, it is needless to say, was the man
ager. On a pinch she could get out and
dig potatoes, hoe beans, and even pillow.
More than once have | known her to
handle a pitchfork with a deXterity
that would cause the hired man to re-
mark: There amt no flies On your
Aunt Polly
one day at the dinner table she re-
marked:
Joseph, suppose we sell the farm
and move ia Kansas"
That settled the matter; for, although
Uncle Joe coaXed and argued, it was
emo avail. Aunt Polly had got the
western fever" Go she must. and go
they did.
Joseph, / think this is a good place
to Locate she said, as they halted at
the county seat Of one Of the western
Kansas counties, on their way.
Again Uncle Joseph coaNcd and ar
gued. He wanted a farm. ! believe Aunt
Polly did ultimately intend to locate
on a farm, but her keen eyes had no.
ticed the tide of immigration, and she
saw a future in the little city and a
chance for speculation. She was firm in
her convictions, and Uncle Joe, as
usual, gave up and rented a cottage in
the heart of the town and dropped back
into his f~ree-and-easy style of living,
while Aunt Polly watched and waited
for a chance to make investments.
A few months after their arrival
Uncle Joe was called upon by a delega-
ton of his townsmen, who informed
him that he had been selected as.their
party candidate for the Office of sheriff.
Uncle Joe was the last person on
earth who would have thought Of TAX
ing such a nomination, and would have
refused outright, but Aunt Polly was
present, and accepted. Uncle Joe real
lied his inability to make a good sheriff
in a section infested with horsethieves,
murderers and desperadoes of all de-
scriptions, but Aunt Polly was firm,
and in a week Uncle Joe was duly elect
ed.
Hank" Phillips, a giant in stature
and a lion in strength, one of the brav-
est men 1 ever knew, had been deputy
sheriff under the previous administra-
ton. He had a reputation we'll known
to the law breakers. To him Uncle Joe
went, at the advice, or rather command,
of Aunt Polly, and rendered the Office
of deputy sheriff, and at the close of
the day Hank" was in possession OF
the Jail. Being Il single man. he. of
course, became an inmate of the fam
lily.
Things went on smoothly after this,
for Uncle Joe wisely took the advice
of Phillips, and this, together with
Aunt Polly's watchfulness, helped him
out of many a difficult tangle.
The county, a new one, had very few
good buildings, but the jail had been
built almost regardless of cost. The
supervisors were well aware Of the class
of men who would be confined therein,
and had been lavish with the county
funds. 1t. was.a stone structure. two
stories in height, with q large wing
for the ~jailer's family. The upper story
was for boys and female prisoners.
while the ground floor was intended for
the men. There were 10 cells on this
floor. in two rows, eight on a side. with
an eight-foot corridor between them.
From this corridor an iron door led
out into the hall. from which there was
a stairway to the row of cells in the
upper story. At the end of this hall
was another heavy door, which led into
the living-rooms of the %jailer's family.
The water and proyisions for the pTjsii
oners were always carried through this
door. .fUt-. -,
When Aunt Polly took possession Of
the jail there were but few prisoners,
but so well did Uncle Joe bestir him
self that inside of"three months the
lever tier Of cells except two were
filled by as desperate and'hardened a
set OF criminals as ever looked through
prison bars. Five were in on the charge
OF murder, three for highway robbery.
Two for.arson and the remaining four
were horse thieves of'the worst type.
All of these prisoners were waiting for
the e session Of court, when they
would be sent to the state prison.
While Uncle Joe was wondering who
would occupy the remaining two cells
word came that a train had been held
up at a place called Slawson. about Is
miles below the city. Phillips. on the
advice Of Aunt Polly, Immediately or
ganized a posse and started for the
scene Of the hold-up, Uncle Joe re-
NAMED behind to guard the Jail.
The train robbers had had several
S'~At WHICH niiiipo III W iHeH
arrived at Slawson, but the posse i'm
mediately took the trail and. kept up
the pursuit SO well that the robbers
were overtaken and after a sharp con-
flict two were shot dead and IRE re.
naming two captured and brought TO
the city, heavily shackled and so'bound
up with ropes as to be unable to
a limb, The instant the posse stopped
at the Jail they were surrounded'by an
excited crowd. = 4
That's Missouri Bill: they cried,
pointing to the larger Of the men, who
broke out with a roar Of laughter. ..
You bet it's mel" he shouted. ~
feel q little hungry, so III stop and
take . few meals and then IN crawl
NIT -