The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-30
PENNINGTON'SSTORY
TELLS OF ESCAPE FROM HOUSTON
 COUNTY JAIL.
Says He walked Through Streets of Dothan to His Home and Later
 Returned and spent some Months.

Thad" Pennington, convicted murderer and refugee from the justice of the State Of Alabama for fourteen months. was arrested in the office of the Ha- vana Secret Police. where he had gone to lay a complaint of robbery against companions of the night before He will be returned to Alabama.
 Pennington has been in Havana two months, working as carpenter and bricklayer,
 T. l.. Bryan arrived on the Mobile steamer and registered at the Throwerl Hotel After putting his name on the book he immediately asked for the of flee of the Havana Secret Police. The next morning Bryan was talking to the officer on guard, and Pennington. in the adjoining room, was telling how he had been robbed. Suddenly Bryan's glance travelled in that direction and met Pennington's. There's the very man I want. now" said Bryan, and the officer of the law and the escaped con- vict. who as neighbors had swapped mules in the wild Alabama country district where the crime was commit ted, renewed the acquaintance broken off abruptly fourteen months before.
 "Thad" Pennington and Lee Faulk were neighbors in Houston county, Ala bama, and lived about a mile apart. Pennington owned lumber mill and cotton gin between the two houses. One night the mill was found on fire. Pennington was notified by neighbors when the roof had fallen in and half the stored lumber was destroyed. He went to Fauk's house and asked him to come and help him put out the fire. Then Pennington went back to his own house and got his shot gun. He walked back to the mill and took position near the corner of the building. Faulk, with his two small sons. was coming up with buckets to put out the Ire. As he came within gunshot range. Pen nington shouted: Now I've got you where I want you, - - your and fired. Faulk dropped dead.
 Pennington maintained stubborn si- lence before the court when asked if he. had anything to say in his own de- fense, and was sentenced to imprison- ment for life.
 Pennington, after his arrest here, told a reporter the story of his escape from iafl, his life for year near the scene of his crime. his final escape to Cuba, where he considered himself at last beyond the reach of the law, and hoped with his wife and eight children to be- gin life again.
 T was taken to jail directly after be- ing sentenced" said Pennington. The jailer slammed the door when he left me in the cell, and the spring lock T2tAeQ to CdECH. nGtG was 1hORhSA man in the cell with me. Jesse Batrneld, also under life sentence for murder When the jailer got out of sight, we opened the door and found ourselves in the deserted hallway. With pocket knife and a broken chair back we made a hole in the wall, prying out the bricks"
 They orawled through the hole and separated. Continuing, Pennington said:
 T had to go right through the town on my way home, so I blackened my face with burnt cork and walked right through the main street. Fairfield lived in the country on the other side of the town. He went home, and shot himself the same night, | heard. He pulled the trigger of his shotgun with his toe, so they said, the gun being too long for him to reach it with his hand. I stayed at home about two days. and then went to West Florida, where l stayed several days with a friend. La- ter at two different periods, l came home and stayed for about two months and a half each time. ] stayed several months in Florida, at different places with various friends.
 ''In November came to Cuba. I got work as a carpenter at Harradura. When that job was finished l got an- other as a bricklayer at the Palatino beer factory. Monday night I came to town and got in with a crowd of bad boys. We drank whiskey and then took a room at the Columbia House on Teniente Key Street. There were four of us in the room, and don't know who took my money. I was too far gone to know much what was going on.
 q was going back to Alabama the next day any way. 1 had that money saved up to pay my fare home. where I could see my boy and find out If he had sold our farm for $3,000 as we had agree should be done, to get money for him and me to get away to South America We could settle down there. find work, and then we were going to have him go back for the rest of the family. When I went to the secret police office to see if I could get back my money, I saw Tom Bryan standing there and I knew 1t was all up with me We both knew each other right away.
 rom Bryan used to be deputy sheriff in Houston. He's fine fellow. I got a fine pair of mules off him once in trade we had. I gave him pair of pretty good mules and $100 to boot"
 Penning gton hopes to get new trial in Alabama.
 Officer T. l.. Bryan said that Penning- ton would be taken back as soon as extradltion papers arrived.
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 IT is a difficult natter to treat a man