Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-04-24
Wednesday, April "a, 1901
REESE CAUGHT AGAIN.

They have again caught M. r
Reese, who escaped from the York
county Jail in February, 1897, after
having been convicted and sentenced
to life imprisonment for the murder OF
Charles T. Williams, at Blacksburg
This time the notorious prisoner has
been caught by John r. Harkins, sher-
iff of Oxford, Miss, and is now being
held in the Jail at that place, pending
extradition.
Sheriff Harkins and Mr.. John A.
Montgomery, formerly of Lancaster,
S. c., but now a citizen of Oxford, are
certain that they have the right man.
The suspect says so himself, they
write, and there can be no doubt, OF
the fact. Sheriff Logan and others
here are not so certain; but all the
same the matter will be investigated
to the bottom. From the way things
look now the Mississippi prisoner will
be brought either to Yorkville or Co.
lumbia.
The present case was opened last
Thursday with a telegram from Sheriff
Harkins to Sheriff Logan. 1t seems
that Sheriff Harkins has picture and
description Of Reese, and he has in
Jail a man who gives his name as
Stevens; but whom he believes to be
the man who Is wanted in South Car
olina for the murder of Williams.
According to long established custom
in this particular matter. Sheriff Lo-
gan telegraphed for photograph of
the suspect, and on Monday he receiv-
ed long letters from Sheriff Harkins
and Mr.. Montgomery.
From these letters it appears that
the suspect has been held in the Jail
at Oxford since December last on a
writ from the United States court, and
that the officers have for some time
past had suspicious as to his proba-
BILE identity. At last the fellow owned
up that he was Marion r. Reese and
agreed to go to South Carolina with
out extradition papers provided he
should be taken at once" He was un-
willing, however. to allow a photo
graph made. on the ground that he did
not want any more notoriety, and on
the additional ground that his word
Is sufficient. He has no bald spot on
the back of his head; but Is all right
as to the bullet scar behind his ear
He refuses to talk of the details Of
the Williams murder or the subsequent
escape from Jail. and seems to have
said nothing from which his identity
can be satisfactorily established at
this end of the line.
While they were writing to Sheriff
Logan, the Mississippi officials also
wrote to Governor McSweeney, who
promptly telegraphed to Clerk Of the
Court Wylie for copies Of the indict-
ment under which Reese was convic-
ted and the sentence Of the court in
the case. The papers were sent to
Columbia by return mail, and 1t
Is presumed that the governor has
done all that is necessary to bring the
prisoner to South Carolina.
The Mississippi officers say that
there is with their prisoner a woman
who answers the description Of Mrs.
Ellen Anderson: but as to the where
abouts Of Daniel F. Luckey they have
no information. Notwithstanding all
the circumstances related, and not
withstanding the difficulty of arriv-
ing at a reasonable theory as to why
the prisoner should declare his iden-
tity as he has. there is still good
ground for believing that the Missis-
sippi people are being deceived. and
that their Reese will turn out as so
many others have before him-the
wrong man.
The latest information from Colum-
bia yesterday was to the effect that
the governor was growing doubtful as
to whether the Mississippi prisoner is
M. r. Reese. and that he will wait for
a more satisfactory establishment Of
identity before sending an officer to
Mississippi.