The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-09-22
A MAN WITH A CONSCIENCE.
Charles o. summers, AN Express Rob-
Der, Surrenders Himself.


detective, an escaped convict from
the Mississippi penitentiary. a gold
hunter of the Klondike, and man
with a deep conscience, is again
within the prison walls in the State
of Mississippi.
He journeyed all the way from
Dawson City, Alaska, to New York.
from New York to Memphis and
Memphis to Jackson, Miss, to sur
render himself.
Summers arrived in Memphis
Thursday, and called on Superin-
tendent G. w. Agee of the Southern
Express Company at his office. He
introduced himself, but that was un-
necessary, as Mr.. Agee recognized
him. Summers said he was tired of
"liberty that does not mean free
DOM" Even in the Klondike he
had no peace OF mind. His con.
science did not rest thousands Of
miles away from the scene of his
crime. He thought of going to
China, but his conscience led him
back to Mississippi. The burden
was too great.
When he walked into Mr.. Agee's
prepared not only to make repent.
ance, but also restitution He
turned over to Mr.. Agee $500 IN
cash, to cover the amount of his
indebtedness to the Southern EX-
press Company, even including the
company's expense of pursuing him.
H gave Mr.. Agee 81 900 gold Ger
tficate, and $500 in currency be-
sides. He then said he would REIN
burse the State Of Mississippi for the
expense of bringing him back from
California, and was prepared to dc
SO.
Mr.. Asee and Summers talked as
time friends might. Mr.. Agee
told him he would trust him to 20 tC
Jackson unattended, and that he
could leave when he got ready
summers left Memphis yesterday
morning, and Superintendent Aget
received a telegram, dated at Jack
son, containing the simple words
Have arrived" and signed Charles
O. Summers.
When Summers reached New
come from Dawson City to tina
place, he wrote letter to Gov
McLaurin of Mississippi. Sum
mers' feelings during the years tina
he was fugitive AMI an exile ar,
well expressed in this letter. HI
desires to serve out his sentence
make reparaJion for the wrong anC
90 forth in the world man no
hunted by his fellowman.
Charles o. Summers in 1892 was
detective in the service of the Pink
erton Detective Agency, and in tina
capacity was employed by tn
Southern Express Company to cap
ture Eugene Bunch, who had robbet
Southern Express train near Ham
mond, La, in the spring of 1885,
Bunch and his co-partners in th'
train robbery were captured
Blnch being killed, and Summer
returned to the Chicago off Sc of tn
Pinkerton agency. While in tn
pursuit of the train robbers Sum
mers was in and about Meridian
Miss, a great deal and familiarize
himself with the details of the off c
of the Southern Express Compan
at that point. Soon after his retur
to Chicago he divu,ged to one Tor
Murray, another Pinkelt) IN d. elective
tile plan he had conceived to rob th
safe of the express company 4
I Meridian. Both Summers and Mul
ray resigned their positions with tn
Pinkerton agency and left Chicag
7 quietly and secretly for Meridlar
y where they robbed the express CON
= pany's safe aud secured So 900. Bot
g of them were arrested soon afte
3 wards and sentenced to five veal
imprisonment in the penitentiar.
summers escaped twice, being car
tured the first time in San Francis
f. co. He escaped first in April, lS9
and in the spring of 1894 summer
z was in San Francisco, and, learnin
that w. A. Pinkerton was in tt
) city, made an appointment wit
Pinkerton with a view of havir
u Mr.. Pinkerton interc sde in his b,
= half with the Southern Expret
o Con plny and the Mississippi sta
authorities, with view of compr,
missing his case. Mr.. PinkertO
e promptly arrested Summers and |
= was held to await the arrival of IL
9 officers from Mississippi, aud /
wd- again imprisoned.
When asked about the attitude ,
u the express company oHard sun
i mers, Mr.. A zee said yesterday tn
he thought the company would a.
: prove any act of leniency on Il
o ,rt Of the governor of Mississiap
Mr.. Agee remarked that he did N
\ think a man who was a deep. dye
Il criminal would come all the WI
% from the Klondike t) surrender hir
II self to a state in the South, and, b
y sides that, make good the losses tn
resulted from his misdeeds, even
e paying the expense incurred by Il
= State ia extraditing him. There /.