West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-09-24


Miserables, the greatest piece Of fic-
ton ever written were living to-day,
he would find in ]. +. Wilfong, the
boy ex. convict and confirmed crimi-
nal, a character whose criminal ca
reer would be an inexhaustive field
for his fertile brain to exploit. His
criminal career, although of only
two years duration, has been that
strenuous, that his misdeeds during
that brief period would fill volume
without the aid of fiction.
]. +. Wilfong is native of Ran
dolph county, and is not yet twenty
years of age. He and his brother
Abal, who is two years younger
were sentenced In the Circuit Court
of Randolph county to six years
each in the penitentiary for burglary
on May 10th, 1907. They were re-
ceived at the penitentiary at
Moundsville on June 18th, the same
year. After serving less than year
of his sentence he was granted
conditional pardon by Gov. White
on March 10Th, 1908. The reason
given for granting the pardon was
on account of the prisoners i'm
paired health, although his brother,
who was the sicker man of the two
at the time, is still in the penitenti-
AIRY. After leaving the penitentiary,
nothing was heard of Wilfong for
several months, when the warden
had his suspicion aroused by letters
received by the convict, Abel, his
brother, the letters being signed
c. Z. Dawson. What attracted the
attention of the warden, was the
fact that the initials c. E. were the
same as his own, while Dawson was
captain of the guards. The queer
combination, together with the
contents of the letter, satisfied,
Warden Haddox that the writer was
none other than ]. F. Wilfong.
The writer told of his love for a
woman in Garrett county, Md, and
of his impotence to get rich quick,
which caused him to steal two
horses for which he was arrested
and lodged in the Garrett county,
Jail. Being lonesome in Jail, with
out the presence of the object of
his love, he testified falsely against
her and she too was arrested and
confined in the same Jail. They
found letter that told of their es-
cape from the jail with the assist
ance of the writer's sister. The writer,
was later proven to have been ]. f.
Wilfong. In his next letter to his
brother, Wilfong stated that he was
then at Brooklyn, N. Y, and was
serving in the United States navy.
He said that after his escape
from Jail he went to Pittsburg,
where he enlisted in the u. S. In
fantry, from which he deserted a
few weeks later, going to Philadel-
Phia and enlisting in the navy, from
where ne was transferred to his pre-
sent headquarters. The letter was
as usual signed c. E. Dawson.
The warden took the matter up
with Gov. White, with the result
that the Garrett county authorities
were notified of Wilfong's where
abopts. The sheriff went to
Brooklyn to arrest Wilfong and
bring him back to Garrett county
to stand trial for horse stealing. He
was informed by the navy authori-
ties at Brooklyn, that Wilfong had
deserted from the navy on the 7Ist
of last August just two days before
he arrived.
In the little town of Rowlesburg,
Preston county, there is merchant
named w. w. Shock, whose store
has for years been the prey of bur
glars. In order to protect himself
against this horde of vandals, who
had victimized on numerous occa-
sions, Mr.. Shock had installed in
his store complete burglar alarm
system. So perfect was this system,
that it was an impossibility for one
to enter the store after it had been
closed for the day, without setting
of the alarm in Mr.. Shoch's bed
room. The bed room was yeri-
table arsenal, containing all manner
OF FIRE arms and hundreds Of pounds
OF ammunition. On the bed post
hung bullet proof salt of armor.
With this combination for trapping
aud capturing burglars, It is said
that Mr.. Shock has sent no less
than half dozen thieves to the peni-
Tertiary.
One night about the first of this
month Mr.. Shock was awakened
suddenly from bis sleep by the fur
ious ringing Of the burglar alarm
bell. He sprang from his bed,