The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-09

with Sheriff Raley of Escambia Coun-
 ty. having been captured In Kansas
 City and returned to Brewton. where
 he is to be tried the second time for
 the murder of Prof. Jesse Troutman.
 The Banner says.
 Those happening into the Union
 Station about s:30 o'clock last night
 were greeted by the sharp yelping of
 a puppy. The little canine was inn
 prisoned in a wooden box, through the
 top of which white paw was occa-
 sionally thrust, and as the owner Of
 the paw drew in each breath of air he
 released 1t In the shape of how {
 At the suggestion or Officer Jo' .
 Walsh. the little animal was reels s
 for while and allowed the libert v,f
 the station. It soon developed
 strange story could be related of the
 owner of the dog.
 Near the box in which the pup had
 been confined. on the end of a bench
 in the station, sat a young man. se-
 curely handcuffed and with large
 nickel-plated ring about his left ankle.
 an Oregon boot. 1t was. and 1t weighed
 thirty pounds. Near the prisoner
 stood a tall and determined looking
 man, who eyed his prisoner each mo
 ment. Sitting nearby was timid- looking little woman, with black hear and gray eyes, while two white head
 ed children romped about the group.
 "The dog was luckier than the man. For the latter there was no such thing as even temporary liberty. for the heinous crime of murder was the charge against the prisoner. and he was being brought back to an Alabama town to face trial. In addition, the further charge of jail-breaking is l marked down against the prisoner by the Sheriff of Escambia county.
 'The handcuffed prisoner was none other than Fred Leslie Hancock, aged 2S, wanted for the murder of Prof. Jesse A. Troutman at Canoe. Ala, on January i. 1905- For seventeen months Hancock had lain in Jaii the prisoner of Sheriff J. w. Raley. to whom he had surrendered after the killing He made 1 a good prisoner, showed no disposition | to get away and the Snerif began to l indulge him. The liberties of the bull | pen'' were accorded him, and relatives were allowed to see him. Hancock claimed the killing was entirely jus 1 tifiable and 1t was not thought hs would run away.
 ..But the indulgence of the sheriff | could not weigh with the inherent and consuming desire for liberty that in- l habited the breast of the prisoner. | Some of the relatives of the alleged murderer had smuggled saws and three pistols to him, ard one night when ] the sheriff had gone to Montgomery with some convicts, Hancock sawed out | of jail and escaped to nearby swamp. Many of his relatives lived close by | end they fed him for days Hancock could have defied capture as long as
 he remained in the swamp He soon l decided to seek other fields, however, and was traced to Montgomery. Then | he went to Mississippi, Louisiana,
 Texas and through the Western States | and in thirty days the members of l his family left Brewton. They too. went to Montgomery first and then l struck out for the West, and sheriff and a family hunted the same man. "Circulars describing Hancock were ! sent to all the counties in the coun- try and Sheriff Raley travelled over | dczen CT more States on the trail Of | Hancock, tracking him, but seeming
 never able to catch up. One day news | came of the arrest of a supposed horse l thief Tn Kansas City. The man broke l on suspicion, and ran into store, l where he was cornered, When searched a circular offering $2o0 as the Ter | ward of Fred Leslie Hancock was l found on him. and also clipping from A paper telling of Hancock's break
 from jail A deed was found on him | conveying certain property in Escam- | bia county. Alabama The prisoner | thought he had been arrested as an es- | caped murderer and owned up to the | killing and escape.
 | "It was not long before Sherin Raley
 was in Kansas City with the $200 re- l ward he had offered. There he took charge of Hancock, there he found the | wife and two little children of the fu- ] gitive, and Hancock in Kansas City, | had been following his old avocation. | that of horse trading. Then began | the journey home. the incidents at the Union Station last night being one of | the many that have attracted public l attention while the strange group has journeyed back to Alabama
 Hancock was taken to the Police
 station short while last night in or- l der that sheriff Raley might gea a few hours rest and then the sheriff, his l prisoner, the latter's family. and the
 bull pup. all pulled out for Alabama on | the 2:30 train this morning.
 'I knew I would get him if he was | in the United States" said Sheriff Ra-
 ley to a Banner reporter before leav- | ing"