The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-07-15
CONVICT ESCAPES
SUE is Captured ty One 81 His
Own Face.

SUI IS captured CF Cne Of kiiS
Own Race.
Douglass williamson, Z negro con-
vict WHO bears bad reputation.
quietly walked away Friday and gave
the penitentiary guards bad quarter
Of an hour. The convict effected his
escape with much ease, and but for
the fact that he happened to meet one
of his own race who happened not to
be in sympathy with escaped convicts.
he would now in all probability be
on the high road to liberty.
The fashion in which Williamson
got away is more than passing strange
and yet simplicity itself. He, with
some other negroes. was doing some
work in the toilet room Of the capi-
tol. Joe James, the guard in charge,
happened to turn his head for q mo-
meut and the negro slipped down the
corridor and out on Senate street. He
made no effort to run but strolled
down the street just as If he was on
business bent for the State.
AS it is Il common thing to see con-
victs on the streets Of the capital, no
one paid any attention to him and he
went east along Senate street without
being molested by any one until he
WIS out of sight.
MISSED IN FIVE MINUTES.
The guard missed him about five
minutes after he escaped and hurried
ly telephoned to the penitentiary for
dogs They we're not forthcoming
however, as they had been sent to
Lexington and there are no other
hounds here at present. In fact: every
little while the governor receives re-
quests for hounds which he cannot
honor. Sheriff Coleman has two
hounds but they were not available
Friday.
So the dogs had to be dispedsed
with. Somebody saw the convict dowu
by the Southern railroad, but deeming
him 'trusty" he was not disturbed.
Somebody else, according to report,
saw the fellow near Browns store IN
the eastern suburbs.
It was about 5 o'clock Friday morn
ing when the convict decided TO take
French leave. Scores Of citizens were
on -tl.eir way to business and many of
! cnem must have noticed the supposed
'trusty" wandering leisurcly along.
Williamson is a tall, graceful negro.
black as sole, with anything but d
criminal face, and perhaps Scnle OF the
glances his way were more sympa-
thetic than otherwise.
In any event no one said him nay
and for the nonce he was as free as a
bird.
1t was evidently Wjlliamson:s plan
to travel until he met some friendly
negro who would give him change OF
clothes and enable him to escape. But
the fateS were against him and more
remarkable than his escape is the fact
that he managed to get five miles
away from town without being so
much as questioned. After be left
Senate street he must have circled
around the city and struck out down
the South Carolina railroad. Having
travelled five miles down the road he
ran into perhaps the worst negro in
the State to further his purposes.
This was an old negro named Alex
Goodwin, something over 80 years OF
age, who at one time belonged to Gen.
Wade Hampton, and who it seems
had rendered valuable service TO the
State as a penitentiary guard wheD
Col. Lipscomb was superintendent Of
the penitentiary.
In some way Goodwin had heard
about Williamson's escape and with
! true ''nigger luck" the convict tigura-
| lively walked into his arms.
That is, the old negro was standing
near the railroad when he saw Will
Hanson hurrying along. He quickly
armed himself and his two boys. one
about Is years old and the other yet
younger, and went in pursuit OF the
convict who was Scurrying down the
railroad with all the speed that he had
left in his tired body. Goodwin final
ly overlook him and called to him to
stop. The convict replied that he
would not and that Goodwin had bet
ter not worry with him.
COMMANDED TO SURRENDER.
Goodwin told him that unless he
gave himself up he would shoot him
and he and his two boys raised their
guns threatening. Williamson was
inclined to show fight but seeing that
he had no chance against the three
guns that were pointed at him he fin
ally consented to return to town.
So, in igncminy the convict was
brought back and landed in the peni-
tentiary yard by one of his own race
whom he had counted on to help him
to escape.
Goodwin will get $50 for his clever
capture, besides some very high con-
pliments from Capt. Griffith and the
other penitentiary attaches.
| While Williamson is anything but
the type OF negro that would be picked
out OF a crowd as particularly evil
character, he bears u bad character
and it will be d long time before he
will have the smallest opportunity to
make another escape He is serving
is year sentence for burning the
barn OF former Comptroller General
Norton.