The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-18
NEGRO THlEF'S FATAL LEAP.
HONEYFOOT JONES JUMPS 80
FEET TO ESCAPE POLICE.

He'd stolen the Pocketbook OF a Cakewaik
Winner and Tried 10 Get Away From
the Police by Chase Across q Roof
His Race Thought Him Wizard,
Long after white folks had gone TO bed
yesterday morning, the cullud sassiety
of Bucktown was whooping it up 10 the
ragtime music Of Honeyfoot Jones in the
hall at 3l7 West forty-tirst street where
the cakewalkers were tieing themselves
into knots.
Even the shiyering cop on the beat
forgot to growl, and his feet got to going
by themselves when Honeyfoots bass rose
above the stamping and shutting Of feet
UpGt tho end Of the hall was big frosted
cake a foot high and two feet square. Honey
foot's girl, Hermione Richardson. was
walking for that cake with her soul in her
feet and Honeyfoot was shouting for her
above his music.
SHAKE yo foot. gal. Jes' tu'n yo'sef
loose Come on wild de pigeon wing and
go back Wild de Georgia bend. Keep 20
eye on dat cakel'
1t was o'clock then and Schneider,
the policeman, wac about ready TO hammer
on the door and call for less noise when
out rushed Honeyfoot, slammng the door
behind him.
In one hand was his banjo and in the
other Il mandolin. He passed Schneider
on the run and was around the corner be-
fore the cop could get started. a minute
or two later there was scres m from the
hall, and the negroes poured into the street,
gathered around Schneider and asked hlm
which way big negro carrying g mandolin
and guitar had run. Hermlore Richardson,
hugging the frosted cake, shrieked INTO
Schneider's ear!
dat Honeyfoot Jones done stole nah
money
dozen told the tale AZ the end of the
cakewak, when Hermione had triumphed,
Honeyfoot took his banjo, slipped from
tho hall, where the woman had left her
pocket book. containing a watch and SIS
grabbed 1t and mandolin that lay near
by and fled
Schneider raped for assistance and
Goldberg, also Of the West Thlrty-seyenth
street station, came on the run. Trey
micro with them. An hour later they got
a glimpse Of the negro slim king into the
shadow Of a building at Forheth street
ard Eighth avenue.
Both policemen started to run. but Honey
foot was on and gone before they got
, down 70 Tlurty-eighth street. Schneider
drew his revolver and yelled 10 the negro
to stop or be shot. Honeyfoot stopped.
and when the policemen got TO him he
HEhltQ nj ltlflls
Guess yo' all has suttnly got me he
I said. I'm no aghtin' coon and I'll give
( de money back. Jis you come with me
He told the policemen that he had taken
Hermione's pochatbook To the roof of a
. five story tenement at 305 West Thirty
eighth street. where he lived.
Come on with me and III show you it,
said Honeyfoot.
Schneider and Goldberg kept their grip
on the negro's arms and walked with him
into the narrow hallway OF the tenement.
HOneyfoot gentle as a lamb, led them 10
/ the top floor just under the scuttle he
swung his arms like fails. hurting Schnei-
der one way and Goldberg the other For
all has six foot two and his 200 pounds
he was up the ladder to the roof like
cat. Two ruffied cops scrambled after
him TO see their quarry bounding across
the roof in four foot strides.
AZ the edge he stopped, looked down.
ward. balanced himself. guitar swinging
in one hand and mandolin in the other,
and jumped. They heard the heavy body
strike frozen clothes line, and then a
thtd and n groan.
Schneider and Goldberg couldn't see a
foot in front OF them but they knew with
out looking that Honeyfoot Jones would
play the banjo at no more cakewalks.
Downstairs they went and into the back
} yard where the crurnpled up body Of the
\ negro lay
1 From the roof 20 the yard is a drop of fifty
{ feet ana tNe negro udu ldllueI on lHt DIlNh
pavement OH his head. In his. leap he had
I triad one OF two long chances. Eight
I feet from the cd ge of the roof is tall clothes
I pole studded with hooks Honeyfoot either
had jumped for that or he took the other
/ chance Of throwing himself twelve feet out
and twenty feet down TO the roof OF brick
/ shed.
BY his body lay the guitar and mandolin,
neither cracked by the fall. Schneider
\ picked up the mandolin and out of II fell
Hermiones pocketbook, with her money
and her watch. They thought they would
search the place anyway. In a crack
between roof and wall they found several
articles which theysay Honevfoot had stolen.
Honeyfoot was known TO about all tho
negroes of that section Of town because he
was blue gum darby. Because Of that
physical peculiarly and the old voodoo
superstition attached TO it, Honeyfoot had
something OF a reputa ton as a wizard
In his room the police found curious as
sortment Of things which the negroes say
Honeyfoot used 10 work spells with. There
were several strings of rattlesnake buttons
two dried snake skins, live lizard, stuffed
toad shr7lnken rabbits foot, garment
that looked Ike a silk shroud and pack
OF cards Of the sort fortune tellers USE.