The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-21
TO LOTHIAN
 OR TO DEATH Alternative Given to Rev.
 Sam Jones. LOCKED IN HOTEL ROOM Life Threatened by Rev. Sam H. Windham of Ozark. He Is Held by Montgomery Police for Annoying the Georgia Evangelist
 --Wants to Marry Divorced 
LOCKED IN HOTEL ROOM

Locked In a bedroom of the Glen more Hotel. looking into the stoelly eyes of one whom he believed to be a fnadman, and listening to threat up on his life, Rev, Sam P. Jones, the Ia nous Methodist evangelist of Carters- vile. Ga, passed through thrilling experience about noon yesterday du- ring his short stay in Montgomery en route to Tuskegee where he iectured last night.
 After following Mir. Jones 70 his ho- tel and then to his bedroom Samuel H. windham, formerly of Ozark, Ala, who says he, too, is a Methodist minis ter, and Is called The Drummer Evan gelist." turned the key in the bedroom door, put 1t in his pocket and then to the evangelist he said:
 God has directed me to go to Do- than tomorrow night and get married. You are to go with me and perform the ceremony Then we are to con duct a meeting in Dothan, after which we are to come to Montgomery and hold a meeting"
 This much was delivered in rational tones and sounded natural. the friend- iy converse ton of two Methodist preachers. But when MT. Windham lowered his voice and almost hlssed: u-do-not-consent, one of- us- must -die," the Georgia evangelist ad- mits that he was scared.
 Fortunate Telephone Gail.
 At this dramatic moment there was a knock on the door of the bedroom. The door was opened by MT. Wind ham. The negro bell boy said MT. Jones was wanted to answer a tele- phone call. Excusing himself to MT. windham, Mir. Jones hurried to the telephone. He did not see MT. Wind ham again until he started to the Union railway station to take the 1:30 o'clock train for Tuskegee. The Ozark man met Mir. Jones and suggested that he would go to the train with him.
 Mir. Jones stopped at the store of his friend W. F. Vandiver on Com merce Street, related his remarkable experience to Mr. ,yandiver, and that gentleman accompanied the Georgia evangelist to the station. MT Wind ham went, too, conversing pleasantly with Messrs. Jones and Vandiver on the way. He tried to board the train with MT. Jones but was stopped from doing so by Mir. Vandiver.
 Later in the day MT. Vandiver sent for Special Officer Payne of the Mont gomery police department, to whom he related the circumstances of the threat against the life of MT. Jones and suggested that the Ozark man might go to Tuskegee on the evening train to annoy MT. Jones. Undoubt- edly this was the intention Of MT Windham as he was taken into cus- tody by Officer Payne, who had been searching the city for him, near the union station shortly before the eVcn- ing train left for Tuskegee.
 Locked in a Cell.
 MT. Windham spent last night in a cell at police headquarters and as Mir Jones will return to Montgomery today to lecture here tonight it is probable that MT Windham will be held until the Georgia preacher leaves Montgome- ry tomorrow.
 In a statement which he wrote him self. MT. Windham says his wife has di- vorced him three times but he is anx- tous to marry her again and that he expected MT. Jones to perform the cer- emony that would again bind him to his divorced wife
 MT. Windham was arrested at 6:15 o'clock yesterday evening by Special Officer w. F. Payne on Bibb Street, as the preacher was returning from the union depot to the Glenmore hotel. The officer found him at the railway pas senger station but refrained from ar resting him until he could get him as near to the station as possible.
 MT. Windham seemed surprised when he was told that he was under arrest and protested mildly as he walked
 
 Sergeant's desk he gave his name as Sam H. Windham and said that he was 31 years old and a Methodist preach CT. In an excited manner. as if he did not know exactly what was taking place. he said that he had been for the past four years in the West and was returning to his old home in Dothan.
 Preacher Had a Knife.
 His personal belongings, consisting
  filled with penciled notes of scriptural passages and addresses of ministers, letters and personal papers and knife were taken charge of by the desk Ser geant. He was led away to a cell very sorrowful looking individual.
 When seen in his cell by a represen- tative of The Advertiser, MT. Wind ham sat on a chair and talked of his arrest
 T don't know why I am here," he said "I haven't done anything and l don't know what the charge against me is. came to Montgomery Tuesday night when l was on my way from Los An geles, Cal, to my old home in Dothan and stopped over here to see my friend, Sam Jones, who Is to lecture here to- morrow night. We were together to- day and I had a long talk with him. He is going to Dothan with me Sunday when L am to be married
 l $2 from the hotel clerk to have some invitations printed to my wedding. By the way" he added as If by after thought "I left an interview between myself and Sam Jones up at your office. suppose you will use it in tomorrow mornings paper.
 Mir windham is of medium height. was neatly dressed in a black suit of clothes and appeared to be rational. He talked in a manner that would not indicate any trace of insanity, but his eyes were unsteady and his manner nervous.
 Special Ohicer Payne who arrested MT Windham said that he had admit ted to him that he had at one time been in an insane asylum. The of ficer also said that he believed that the prisoner was of unbalanced mind and that his people in Dothan should he notified of his condition so they could remove him from his present quarters in the city prison.
 The charge against his name on the police docket Is suspicion" and hA ia