Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1899-09-27
SENSATIONAL EPISODE
Charles Summers Gives Himself up
to Finish a Sentence.
TIRED OF DODGING.
He RNpays the Express Company for
Honey He Stole and Pays the
State for Money Spent in
COnvicting Him.

Jackson, Miss, Sept. ts - Charles o.
Summers, the noted express robber and
escaped convict who has run the gauntlet
of the Pinkertons for the past five
years as fugitive from the Mississippi
penitentiary, arrived here Friday after
noon and gave himself over To the prison
authorities of his own volition, Sum
mers' sensational escape from the walls
here after being convicted of robbing
the Southern Express company Of 3D.
600 at Meridian and his capture in San
Francisco and second escape. are all
recalled by his return to prison
Charles o. Summer in 1892 was de-
tective in the service of the Pinkerton
Detective agency, and in that capacity
was employed by the Southern Express
company to capture Eugene Burch, who
had robbed Southern Express train
near Hammond. La, in the spring of
1892 Burch and his copartners in tho
train robbery were captured, Burcn
being killed and Summers returned To
the Chicago Office of the Pinkerton
agency.
While in the pursuit of the train rob-
Der Summers was in and about Meri-
dian Miss, great deal and familiarized
himself with the details of the office of
the Southern Express company at that
point Soon after his return to Chicago
he divulged to one Tom Murray, anotn-
er Pinkerton detective the rlan he hal
conceived to rob the safe of the express
company at Meridian Both Summers
and Murray resigned their positions
with the Plnkerron agency and lefa
Chicago quietly ami secretly for Meri-
dian. Summers had in the meantime
made false key to the office door and
to the safe.
During the temporary absence of the
night clerk and his force in attendance
upon train, 100 feet distant from the
Office, Summers quickly entered the
Office and safe by these false keys and
distracted a parcel, of $1,000 The money
was handed to his phrtner. Murray, who
departed on tra6 for New Orleans
and Summers 'dnfeMy retired to his
hotel s
When the loss was discovered, Sum
ners, known to in the city was sum
moned to aid in tracing the thief. In a
short while the express officials and
detectives arrived upon the scene and
began an investigation In less than AS
hours Summers had been arrested and
confessed that he and hurry had com
mitted the theft. Murray was arrested
just as he embarked from train at
Chicago the third day after the robbery
and $4lUO of the money was recovered
from his person.
Both Summers and Murray pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to five years
each in the Mississippi state peniten-
tiary.
Summers escaped the first time by dy-
ing his clothes and passing the guard
The second escape was effected through
bribing guard.
Summers turned over to officials $500
to repay the state for expenses out upon
him and gave the express company
$500 to make up his deficit with them
and their expenses in searching for him.
He stated he had led lodging life
long enough and wanted to serve out
his time and be free man once more
Summers was we'll dressed. He pre-
oented the appearances OF prosperity and
said that he had made little money in
the mining business.