The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-13
FREED FROM JAIL BY DICE.


Prisoner Won Jailcr's 500. Then Played
With 5000 and Liberty as Stakes.
"Getting out of Jail with a good
file seems easy enough" said an ex-
sheriff the other day, "but I don It
think ever heard Of but one case
where prisoner made his escape
with handful of dice. 1t happen
ed years ago in my county after 1
had arrested Il crack gambler from
the west for shooting farmer
The farmer was not killed, and the
westerner was shut up in jail until
court convened. The chances were
that he would be sent to the peni-
tentiary for half a dozen years at
least. He went under the name CT
Mike Hunkler. That, however, was
an alias.
"While I was going over the
building one morning stranger
came up and asked to see Hunkler.
He said that Hunkler was an ac-
quaintance of his and he wanted to
talk with him about securing the
services of a lawyer to defend him.
let the man in, but told Robinson,
the jailer, to watch him.
"The following morning while I
was at breakfast a boy rushed in
and told me that Hunkler had es-
capped. When I made an investiga-
ton, 1 discovered that Robinson had
also disappeared. Later in the day
I found note from Robinson ad-
dressed to me. He asked me to for
give him, said it was an affair of
honor and could not be helped. The
escape was investigated by the
grand jury and after long wrangie
1 was completely exonerated, as q
trusted employee had played me
false.
1.-The years rolled on and the es
cape had ceased to cause any COM
ment. Some time afterward I got a
telegram from Tennessee saying
that Robinson was dead and that he
had made request that I be noti-
fed. Five days later received a
letter written by Robinson previous
to his death in which he told me
the whole story of the escape.
1T seems the man who went to
see Hunkler as his friend was a not
ed crook. He carried the prisoner
a set of poker dice and a roll of bills
amounting to about $500. That
night, while Robinson was patroling
the Jail, Hunkler, who got to talk
ing with him, asked if he did not
want to shoot few hands. The
cubes were brought out, and Robin
son said he was the luckiest man
with them in town. The jailer got
$50 out of his wallet to start on, and
despite his luck he lost. He went
back for another wad, and in due
time that drifted over to Hunkler.
Robinson had s4OO in all, and he
promptly brought it out. In an
hours time the last of his three
years savings was gone. Noticing
his detection, Hunkler after awhile
said:
Robinson, 1 will make this
proposition. I will give you a
chance to win your money back and
mine, too, on one throw. I'll put
up 5000, and if you win, you get all.
If l win, you let me escape tonight. ;
Robinson thought over the mat
ter for Is minutes, and finally
agreed to play one poker hand to
the fill. Robinson won the toss,
and had to play first. He pitched
out the dice and then looked down
on two pairs, queens and jacks. He
kept the queens and then took the
three other cubes for the second
throw. He got another pair of
jacks and an ace. He cursed his
luck, but threw again to the queens.
He turned another queen and pair
of aces.
"Hunkler took the dice to beat
the full. He ratified them long and
carefully, and when they hit the
Jail floor he smiled as he saw three
tens. Another ten would set him
free, with $500 in his pockets. On
the second throw he made pair of
jacks, but they did not free him.
Robinson held his breath on the
third toss, and to his sorrow he saw
the lucky ten turn. He told Hunk
ler he was free, but that he had
made himself an outcast. AT L
o'clock the next morning the two
slipped away, Robinson refusing to
accept dollar from Hunkler. -
Charleston Letter in New York Sun.
Hoity Toity.
Selden in his liable Talk writes:
"In Queen Elizabeth's time gravity