The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-12-28
R. 4. ADAMS STORY.
MAN WHO ESCAPED FROM COL
LETON JAIL RETAKEN.
Adams Had Been Sentenced to Death
for killing Henry JaQues and Filed
His Way Out of Prison.

His Way Out of Prison.
Recaptured at his home near Cot
tageyille, in Colleton County, on We'd
nssday night, r. A. Adams under SEN
tence of death and for whose capture
a reward of s., 600 had been offered by
Governor Hayward, slept in the Police
Station House in Charleston last
night, and will be carried to Colum
bia this morning and lodged in the
State Peniteptiary for safe keeping.
Adams was brought to Charleston
from Walterboro last night by Sheriff
L. G. Owens, of Colleton county,
who with posse of six men, effected
the capture.
Adams was convicted of the killing
of Henry Jaques. the shooting having
taken place in the neighborhood of
Adams's home, in Colleton county, in
Feruary, 1908, and was dentenesed to
be hanged. He was lodged in che
Colleton county Jail awaiting the exc
cution of the death sentence, and re-
NAMED in Jail until June of this year,
when, according to the story which he
told last night, he secured file and
cut through the iron bars in the win
dow of his cell, left the Jail and re-
turned to his home. Since that time,
he said, he had been in the neighbor-
hood, working for his wife and four
children, doing whatever he could do
to provide them with living. Gov
ernor Hayward offered reward OF
$500 for his capture, but he remained
at large. The reward was then in
creased to 81, 600, this action having
been taken by the Governor only sew
eral days ago.
The posse which captured Adams
on Wednesday night was composed
of the Sheriff, E. P. Henderson, G. S.
Arnett, E. P. knight, E. G. Strobel,
2. M. Murray and Capers Stewart.
Adams home is about twelve miles
from Walterboro, near Cottageville,
and it was here, with his wife and
children, the posse found him. 1t
appears from the statements OF the
party that it was necessary to break
open the door, and that when this was
done Adams was found in crouched
position near the FIRE place, his gun
leve1led on Henderson, who had enter
ed first. Adams, however, did not
shoot. Shortly afterwards. it was
stated, the muzzle of gun was seen
pointing through window which had
been thrown open, wherenpon the
sheriff fired load of buckshot into
the window. After considerable par
leying Adams was persuaded to sur
render without further resistance and
was Gaken to Watlerboro, where he
was held in jail until taken to the
train Yesterday afternoon and brought
Go Charleston.
Adams's escape from Jail was the
subject Of a great deal of talk at the
time, and the fact that he has been
at large for number Of months has
occasioned great deal more talk. It
has been persistently rumored all the
while that the convicted murderer
was in the community near his own
home, and at his home a great part
of the time, and the wonder was that,
if the rumors were true, no attempt
had been made to capture him, espec-
tally in view of the fact that large re-
wards had been offered for his arrest.
LAS soon as got out of jail / went
on home,'' said Adams to reporter
last night, "and I have been at home
ever since-I mean to say right around
the neighborhood, working backwards
and forwards. / cut my way out of
Jail with file, cut throughtbe round
iron bars, which were eaten with rust.
I left the Jail and went as straight
home as I could 60, and since that
time I have been working like a dog,
trying to keep my wife and four chill
dren from starving to death. Before
I shot Jaques | ran one-horse
farm" he sale, "but Of course have
not made any crops for the past two
years. Since left Jail, I have been
doing whatever l could find to keep
ms family from starvation-cutting
saw logs, stripping fodder, picking
cotton, and doing a little of every
thing. told the sheriff after he got
ma this time that I left Jail to go
home and interfere with nobody and
work for my wife and children as long
as could, and thanked God did
cat the time of my escape" he
continued <'I had been in Jail more
than sixteen months. I killed Jaques
in February, 1909, and left Jail in
June, 1904. I bad been tried and SEN
fenced to be hanged. My case had
been appealed to the Supreme Court
and it had decided against me and I
was to be sentenced again. got a
file, cut my way out and went home. !"
"Was no attempt made to capture
you during the time you were at large
and III the community near your
homer" was asked.
Adams said he would prefer not to
answer this question. and it was not
pressed.
Adams gave long and detailed his
tory of the killing of Jaques, saying
that the trouble started in dispute
which Jaques had with his (Adams's)
brother Both be and Jaques were on
horseback, be said, when the fatal
shot was fred, Jaques in the main
road going towards home, and Adams
in plantation road coming towards
the main road Adams said that pre-
vious to this time he had taken up
his brother's dispute with Jaques, his
brother being boy. Jaques had shot