The age-herald., 1901-01-08
FP'" CAN IS
 ynTIC MOOD He Writes a Letter to The .Age-
 Herald ENCLOSING ORIGINAL POEM Convicted of the Murder of Policemen kirkIey and Adams he Sets His Thoughts to Rhyme and
 Says He is Innocent.
ENCLOSING ORIGINAL POEM

Frank Duncan one of the men who at tempted to escape from the county jail last Wednesday afternoon and who Is under sentence of life Imprisonment, has written the following communication to the Age Herald:
 Birmingham, Ala, Jan. 9th, 1901. MT Editor Age-Herald
 Respt Sir l have been reading the News papers for the last nine months, and hearing reports from the outside Branding me as a Mur- derer and getting the worst of it in all shapes an sizes I thought I would try through the colums of your valuble paper to through little light on my side of the story. l know the Public never hears but the one side. and cant blame all for be- Heveing me as bad as Painted, which I know l am not
 I am not Guilty of Murder and was not there when those officers was Shot I un- derstand my circumstances thuroly. and with all against me I realise how dark my future really is and am at a stage now whare I don't care very much how it goes. However it would be a little satisfaction to me to know that some Might hear a little of my side as I know it to be true. and right wrongs no one. Hence I will try in my very Humble way to make little of it Rhyme I am
 Yours Very Respt
 My Little Tale of Woe. Come all good people as you glide Joyfully to and fro, Just stop one moment and reflect On my little tale of woe l do not write this to false impress, Nor for sympathy as you may say But only wish to tell the truth As you will find it Judgment Day. I know I am numbered with the bad And for my Life again must stand So now just think for this is True I never Killed a man.
 " I have sit in this little gloomy Cell And studied-oer my Fate And oft times wondered how it was All False could come so strait But knowing this Selfish World as And the Vanity it contains I am not surprised to see the web We've round me all for Gains.
 VI I see the web around me And am alive to all the Sluthes Hence know with little money It will be hard to get the truth
 VII. 1 wish to say ito relatives Of those Policemen Slaine They have my deepest sympathy For them can not blame.
 VIII. And sure as their is a God above Which most all do not doubt You will find my story True as Life If the truth should ere come out.
 TX. Now as to MT. Kirkley For whom l have not been tried He never once did see my Face But for him they hope I'd Die.
 x. The other day you all well know 1 tried hard to escape And am very sorry now to say l lost out on the Gate. Now how many of you who reason Can me one moment blame Or if persecuted as I am Would not have done the same I hope Supreme Court soon decides For I am tired of this suspence, And want to see the whole thing off For I feel like thirty cts.
 XIII. I will say here in conclusion To any that may Scoff. If by mistake and purjery Convicted 1 will not Funk ShufIiing off.
 FRANK DUNCAN Now to break this fatal thirteen For in hard luck 1t may be best And the best I expect is the worst of it Hence you will have to guess the rest.