The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-17

est chase ever had" said the lady who
was drawn into a reminiscent mood. 'Hs
was sort of trusty, and one day he dis
appeared. got track of him and followed
him 800 miles over the states of Iowa and
Illinois. overlook him in the southern
part of Illinois and brought him back to
Belvidere
"a Jail full of the most hardened GRIM
mails which have ever been penned I'd
came near getting away from US one Sat-
urday night had noticed for several
days that the prisoners were doing an I'M
usual amount of dancing. Two men were
on the floor continuously, and 1 noticed
that they kept up their jigs while the
sweat was rolling off of them. My suspi-
cions We're aroused, and when opportunity
offered l secreted myself to listen The
men were dancing away on the floor, but
above the shutting L was able to detect
a noise OF a different character. 1t was
that caused by the drawing of a file
across hard substance, and I at once
determined to surprise the prisoners in
what now knew to be an attempt TO es-
cape. Calling my husband, we entered
one of the cells from which the noise
proceeded. Under the bed we found an
cavation large enough to pass out the
whole gang, save that an outer crust had
been left intact. The men had gathered
up the stones and dirt which they had
removed, and put them inside their bed
ticks, thus avoiding discovery.
zone time overheard a conversation
between prisoners, in which one of the
men who had been confined for some
time described me as veritable she
devil Here is the way he came to
form that opinion of me. We had man
named George Panton, who was under
sentence of death. He had been brought
n obo n
venue, and at that time the death PEN
atty was hanging over him.
zone morning before got up the swede
girl was passing in the breakfast to the
prisoners, when Panton and a German
prisoner got into a quarrel. In the melee
the German was caught by the throat by
the other fellow, who was twice his size,
and the two men went down on the floor.
Panton on top, trying to choke the under
man to death. The Swede was frightened
nearly TO death. She burst open my door,
and, having been scared out of all the
English she had learned, she was ges-
tlculating wildly in an effort to acquaint
me with what was going on. 1 drew
black skirt over my nightdress, and in
my bare feet, went down stairs with siN-
shooter in each hand. Panton had the
other man still on his back, and l could
see that he was already black In the
face.
"Panton wore a heavy woollen shirt
shirt which was much too large around the
collar. l dropped one revolver. took hold
of this shirt collar. yanking Panton back
until his face looked up into mine. The
fellow almost tainted. over him l STOOD
with my hair hanging down my back ana
in my ghostlike garb. 1t was only neces-
sary to shove the revolver under his nose
in order to completely subdue him. In
minute had the men all back in their
cells,
"Once I heard a prisoner tell another
that | would like nothing better than an
opportunity, to shoot one of them one Oh
the county board told me in their presence
one time that would be justified in killihs
one of them if it was necessary to DO So
in order to subdue them, and every man
Of them believed l would do it. The factS
are that / did not want to kill anyDouy'
and had done much to induce GOV. Ogles-
by to commute the sentence of Pantoh "
life Imprisonment, for no one In BoolIo
county wanted hanging within It's poi
ders. The neck of the Kane county ul'i"
finally was saved"
Mrs. Ames has been out of office fou'
years, and is now quietly conducting Iil, o
linery store In Belvidere. Her towns-peo,
pie know her as a refined, educated, anI
kind-hearted woman, but cool-headed anu
determined under all circumstances