The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-09

good family. He was confined IN tho
I peuitentiaFy IL jackson, but nc ltYSd IN
mental terror lest he should be seat u
one OF the state convict farms then
under contract labor, and where the lie
was very hard and severe. AS he sub
hGequentIY wrote TO Governor McLauriu,
I no man OF the allghteEt intelligence
need remain IN the Mississippi peRiten-
tlaTy who does not care TO stay there,
Fearing that ne would fall into the
hands Of the convict contractors, SOM
efs planned to escape. He had been n
prison only a few months when he left
Il. He had stained his convict clothes
| 30 that ut would not give him away
and altered Il so that II could easily
pnes muster. This he wore under the
! ordinary prison gurh. He waited until
green guard was placed In charge
and stationed at the northeast tower OF
| the peditentlary. He persuaded the
guard that the warden wanted him and
/ that he was q "truaty," and when the
man went to the warden, he slid down q
small rope and escaped, He was well
/ provided with money, for he had "Hnlt-
| ed away" the $50, 900 he had stolen, and
he made At once for the Pacific coast,
intending to go to. China or Japan.
Somers found serious difficulty IN
his way. He was too we'll known. for
as q detective he had met hundreds OF
persons, and the PinkeFton men were
all on a lookout for their former COM
panion. One Of them recognized him
at San Francisco, Just as he was about
sailing for Yokohama, and he was ar
rested and brought back to Mississippi
and again placed in the penltentiary.
He served sixteen months this time. but
IN April, 1894, he escaped and has been
q free man until he voluntarily surren-
deFsd himself this week,
Somer's second escape was simple
! enough. He bribed one OF the guards,
French by name. The two came togeth-
er to New Orleans, where Somers paid
French, and they separated. He took
the steamer to Europe, where, under
the name OF Nelson, he has resided
most Of the time since, He had plenty
OF money; he was fortunate and In
creased the $4,000 and enjoyed every
luxury, but his life abroad was none the
less bore to him and full Of regrets.
The money taken from the express
company was paid back but even this
did not satisfy Somer's conscience or
quiet his fears. Last yenr he returned
from Europe, spent some time in Cam
ada, and finally wandered of TO the
kAluNulket MLlaTH tlG WGllk lllkO hAlH mum
ing business, and was again successful.
But all this time he was suffering
mental torture, and never once enjoyed
peace, He was constantly in fear that
he would be arrested. sent back to the
Mississippi penltentlary and be punish
ed as twice escaped criminal. He was
10 well known that he was always on
the edge of discovery, and his arrest at
San Francisco convinced him that he
would be Identified by any detective
who saw him. Naturally, of an ex-
tremely nervous temperament, this
constant dread pTeyed upon his mind
and even affected'hls health.
In short, SomeFs had made up his
mind to surrender and serve out his
term. He had for more than two years
thought Of surrender, but the idea OF
the, striped suit and going back to the
hardShtps Of peniteutiary life from the
comforts he was enjoying, dissuaded
him. What seemed to have finally turn
ed the scale was the fact that he was
only thirty-three years of age II he
did not surrender, he would have to en-
dure the present agony. his constant
dread Of capture, for the remainder of
his life, thirty years or more; II he sur
rendered, he would have. at the worst,
less than four years to serve. This
finally decided him. on his return from
the Rlondike, he went to New York,
from which city he wrote to Governor
McI4auren, on September 10, Informing
him that he Intended to surrender, eN.
planning his crime and his two escapes
from the penItentlary and asking elem
ency. He left soon after for Jackson,
stepped over TO Memphis on September
IS, where he telegraphed the governor
that he would reach jackson the next
day. This he did, and he is now in the
penltentiary, awaiting the decision OF
the governor as to what should be done
with him.
Somers made good the amount he
took from the express company. and al
SO deposited with Governor McLauren's
secretary $500 to pay the state of Mis-
sIssippi the amount It had expended In
re-capturing him. He has settled up
the financial part Of his crime, and eX-
presses a willingness to suffer the pen
atty and punishment which his crime
calls for-but he asks clemency
Somers is prepossessing in manner
and appearance. He has been success
full and made his way In the world, and
he probably has seen wild life In the
last few years. during which he has
been free, an escaped convict. His
case has aroused much sympathy.
There can be no doubt as to his re'0snt.
ance, although he has made few profess
slons on this score and has said that he
surrendered because the danger Of ar
rest, continually oYerhonglng him,
made his life less free than In prison.