The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-23
HOLDS COUNTY JAIL
RECORD Of COUNTRY
Maryland Prisoner Has Spent
q Lifetime In His
Cell

ELKTON, Nd, Jan. 22.-Thirty five
years spent in idleness as prisoner In a
small country jail is the record Of James
Andrews, a former Union soldier. Last
week he celebrated his SEVENTEEN birth
day. It was great disappointment to
the man that his request some time ago
for, pardon from the county commits
sioners was not acted upon at their re-
cent meeting.
Andrews, who Is now partly paralyzed.
asked that he be given his liberty, as hss
thfrty-five years of confinement has cost
the county many thousands of dollars, and
as he is growing old and has not many
years to live he breads the idea Of dying
in the county jail. His petition for g.
sioners, and it is likely that at their jan
uary meeting some action will be taken In
the matter.
Andrews was borne near Chesapeake
City seventy years ago. He served In the
Union army in the war about two years.
He then procured furlough and came
back to Chesapeake City to visit his
mother.
Is Accused Of Desertion
He overstayed his time and was marked
a deserter.
When speaking about the incident he
says he had no intention Of not returning
to his post, but In Baltimore he was ar
rested for intoxication and sentenced to
thirty days in JAIL When released he did
not like to go back home.
During the fall of 1870 he was arrested
on the charge Of attempting to assault q
prominent woman and placed in the Elk
ton jail. Before his trial several promi-
nent citizens Of Chesapeake City came to
Elkton and made affidavit that they be-
neved Andrews mentally weak. A jury
later declared him unfit to be at large
and he was sent to an institution near
Baltimore for treatment.
After being there short time he es-
capped and returned to the home Of his
mother. He was soon captured and brought
to Elkton jail, where he has been ever
since, with the exception Of several short
intervals when he broke Jail. On one oc-
casion he scaled the thirty foot stone wall
and was gone several months. q While
travelling through Anne Arundel county he
was arrested on the charge Of ,vagrancy
and sent to the Maryland house Of cor
rection for six months. - sSs,sz4sss=sss
It was while in that institution that he
was recognized and bought back to jail
here.
Escaped Many Times
The second time he made his escape
was in the early hours of the evening, and
IN descending the wall the rope, made from
bed clothing broke and he fell a distance
OF twenty feet. breaking his leg. He did
not go far and was again recaptured An
extra iron bar was then placed over
"Jim's cell and from that time he has
been a. model prisoner, although he never
gave up hope of being set at liberty.
Andrews is now considered not to be
dangerous man and apparently is believed
to be sane. He can talk intelligently on
most every subject, and since his con-
ment has written hundreds of letters ask
ing that the injustice done him, as he
claims, be rigrted.
For the last fifteen years he has taken
q great fancy to pets. He has had white
rats, dogs, cats, rabbits. ETC., and always
took the best of care of them. sharing his
food with them. His confinement of
thirty-five years in jail is said to be the
longest, possibly, of any person in the
United States.