Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-31

|fSIt 1st1 - u sl11i u
IN III ] 2Sonr II I NJ M sd ~
covered that I ~ stllka pris0nef In
side q very heavy board fence at least
ten feet high, and the boards nailed on
assist fellow in getting over 1t. /
looked hurriedly but thoroughly, but
could discover no gate or opening of
any kind. My companion had gone
back into the house, expecting me to
follow, suppose. Neither OF US hav-
ing spoken word during this time.
but l didn't intend to return to that
house voluntarily. They might drag
me back if they would. About two
minutes after my companion returned
to the house, discovered a slight
bulge in the fence about twenty feet
from the door, and found that it was
caused by one of the planks working
loose at the bottom. 1t was hard
down against the ground, but was
desperate. They were liable to come
Que for me at any moment. i dug my
fingers into the earth and under that
plank and gave pull with all my
might. The plank came loose, | al
most tainted. The opening was about
a foot, | squeezed through and found
myself in an open lot sick and bewild-
cred.
| walked on very fast, not know
ing where to, for half an hour at least.
l saw a street car in the distance and
made my way toward it, and came to
the waiting room at the end of the
street car line. l waited for some time
s., No I bod had AL
ready returned to the city. The next
car arriving happened to be the same
car l came out on, and the boys recog-
nized me and, laughing, asked me how
i made out. l saw that they knew all
about the place, and finally acknowl-
edged that | got out OF pretty tight
box. They then told me that they
tried every way they knew how, 10
give me a hint as to where | was be-
ing taken, but they couldn't make me
understand They also said. that II
they were caught doing what little they
did their lives wouldn't be worth five
cents. They are very influential In
Denver. Everything they want they
get, and to prove the information l got
about the officers being afraid OF them
was correct, will cite an incident that
came under my observation ABOUT
week after my experience.
Il was walking down Larimer, the
principal street, in Denver one AFTER
noon. and saw a crowd stanulng III
front of a saloon. | inquired what was
wrong and was told that 'Soapy smith
had shot a man inside. | saw an OF
ficer standing at the door whom l
found out was the chief of police. l
wanted to know why he didn't arrest
Smith. and the question seemed 10
amuse every one that heard 1t, as they
all giggled and looked at each other
/ and at me. In a short time the patrol
wagon containing three ponce came
along, and stopped. The chlet anu lne
three police went into the saloon, anu
! In about ten minutes they came oue'
Smith in the rear, but he wouldn rae
They walked him to police headquar-
| tiers, and he was out on the street
again In ten minutes free man.
/ THE Denver papers came out III
great headlines next morning euloglZ-
| ing the chief for his bravery IN arrest
/ ing Smith. They also stated that MS
victim couldn't recover, but | never
Learned whether he died or not. lhey
never mentioned Smiths prompt re-
lease. | never mentioned my trouble
to but one man who had been IN Den
yer about year, and he told me 10
mot mention it to any person.
| at was surely a great rellef 10 the
people of Denver when smith lelt LOT
4 Alaska. and a greater reneI 10 KNOW
THAT he will never return. | predict
for Denver a boom in the dlstrlc'
known as Soaptown. Al the lanu y
iavoI M Grading is necessary, but nc
nersnn could live there, and people
would seldom venture there during
Smiths career of murder ard robbery,
which | was told begun in the GUS.
have often thought over ills matter
since, and am almost convinced that the
Quiet mans heart failed him and the
nort no look in this affair after we en-
tered the place was done in order tC
give me a chance to escape.
/ ot TurnprC'