The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-01-02
ONCE AN OUTLAW
But Now a Lawyer and Highly
Respected by Ali.
VERY STRANGE TALE.

Eyeniful Cafeer. Leo uafg
of Robbers, Sent to Pris.
on and Reformed.
| One Of the most interesting strang
ers who has visited Washington 70
Gently has been at the Raleigh during
the past week. he Is Al. J. Jennings
an attorney Of Lswton, Okla, whose
career in the new southwest countr!
reads like . work Of fiction. Four year!
OF bis life were spent as the chief Of q
band Of outlaws and train robbers
The people which he and bis gang ter.
rorizad now respect him, and he l.
considered one OF the best lawyers If
Oklahons.
4 mild. hammered man, physically
small, about forty years old, although
he looks much younger, be attracted
no unusual attention In the Raleigh
lobby. he was here with a party OF
friends or private business, and dur.
ing his stay called at the White House
and ws5 warmly greeted by President
Roosevelt.
Il an not trying to hide my past, -
ne said, not boastfully. 1T is an open
book. My desire Is to show the people
where I lvs that I regard that par.
of my life spent In outlawry as mis- :
take, and sm trying to make amends
for it by living straightforward hon
est life. I think the people in Okla
homa believe In me. It shall be the
object Of my life to make mvself
worthy OF aheir good opinion"
| MI. Jennings Is 9 native V:rginian.
having been born in Tazswell county.
EARLY In life he moved to the Wes.
tern country With his parents. When
Oklahoma Territory was first openae
ior settlement, he vent to EL Benz
and there p1acticed law for several
years. A man Of brilliant attsin.
ments, he soon built up a lucrative
practice and gathered many friends.
He entered the polttcle arena, and
became the leader Of one side In
bitter factional fight in the Demo
cratic party in municipal politics.
The leader Of the other side was T.
E. Henslsy, an editor. formerly q
Washingtonian.
Hensley, through his paper, made
attacks on Jennings, which were not
resented by the latter until an alta z
most bitter, appeared one day against
the father OF Mr. Jennings, also a
resident Of the city. Meeting the
author Of the article on the street,
soon after reading the paper, Mr.
Jennings. sngered until be vas al.
most in frenzy, struck him down.
The two men fought for several min.
uses efforts to part them being OF no
avail. Finally to escape further pun.
ishment, for he seemed to be getting
the worst Of 1t the ditor ran into the
p stof1ce. Jennings followed and
struct him oyer the head with bis re
volver, and probably would have kill
ed him had not freinds succeeded in
pulling him away.
The incident Is said to have caused
the people Of E.! Reno to turn against
the young lawyer, whose popularity
up to that time had never been quss
toned, Jennings himself admitted
that be earned the punishment too
far. The loss Of bis friends caused
him to become despondent, and he
soon lsft the town. he was not
heard OF sgain until he was identified
ss the chief Of a band Of outlaws.
For four years every crime OF rob-
oery. depreciation, OF even murder
committed within q radius Of hun
dred miles Of his former home Ia OK.
Iahona was laid at his door. His gang
was even suspected Of crimes commit
ted in New Mexico, Colorado and
others border states.
Showing the true nature Of the
man, it Is 3 notable fact that Jen.
aiDgs, on whose head big lrice had
been put BY the authorities OF several
states and territories, WAS finally
taken into custody wtjle trying to
befriend a young man who. he claim
ed, was wrongfuIly accussd OF murder.
he, with others Of the gang, was
tried in the federal courts Of Oklaho'
ma, and he was sent to prison tor lie,
being confined in the OHIO state pen
ltentiary, where Oklahoma sent her
LIE prisoners. he served only a short
5ine in prison, and whensasked. what
method 1e used to obtain bis free
dom, said: "I bought my way out, !"
and bis e1pres ion showed that fur.
ther questioning On that line was use
legs.
Free from the penttentisry, be did
not go to another part Of the coun-
try, or to Australia OF South Ameri.
ca II deter mined to 90 back to the
country where they knew me at my
best and where they knew me st my
gorst, and fight it out. It vas hard
ct first, for many people would not
believe in me, but I bslieys am win.
ming out," he said.
''I have revealed trutbfully to the
authorities everything in connection
with my career. with the exception
OF one thing. I will not give 1nfor.
nation as to the whereabouts Of my
| former comrades, do not believe II
would be honorable tor me to do so.
NV father and my wife, my best
friends, do not know where they ate.''
Tho story, as narrated in Ghe fore
going, is substantially as told by MI.
Jennings himself. Net once during
the telling did he assume . boasttul
attitude. and through it al there was
a tene OF reget. That it should be
known, he seemed to think, ts psrt
Of his rsuentsuos.
Mr.. Jennir gs has "1i5ten book,
which Is q nasure study OF the men
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