Evening journal., 1907-12-24
What Tommy SOmers
Did For His Father.
[OrlginaI.1


He had walked a mile perhaps when
suddenly a frightful shrek and call
for help came from a wood beside the
road. In a few minutes he was be-
side the body Of woman who had
just been murdered. His first thought
was that If found he would be accused
of murder His wifes words "be
careful came to him with an especial
meaning. He hurried back into the
road, emerging from the wood just In
time to meet man passing in wag
on. The man asked him II he had
heard shrleks. Jim replied Eyes" and
mo and looked confused. He passed
ON with his pick and shovel The man,
after Jim had left, searched the wood,
found the body, and an hour later Jim
was arrested.
There being no jail at hand, somers
was taken to the sheriff's house and
put in a room in the top story. The
murder created great excitement, and
threats were made to lynch the man
against whom the evidence was 80
strong. The sheriff swore in half a
dozen deputies, armed them and walt
ed a favorable opportunity to run his
prisoner to the county jail, ten miles
distant, but, hearing Of preparations to
take his man from him, desisted.
Meanwhile Jim remained In a room
fifty feet from the ground, with one
window and no furniture except a
chair A nail was driven in over the
lower sash and under the upper one.
He could not get out Of the window,
and there was not a strip Of anything
to make a rope Of to let himself down.
The sheriff had little fear Of his es-
Gaping. The prisoner was not likely
to court being hunted by a mob.
The day after Jim Somers was shut
up he told the sheriff that his liver
was troubling him and asked for
lemon. 1t was given him. In a closet
he found an old tin box OF backing.
With the lemon and the backing box
he determined to make an attempt to
escape and hide or leave the country.
His first move was to ask for pen
and paper with which to write a letter
to his wife. His request was granted,
but of course his letter was read by
the sheriff before sending It. II con
tained his protestatlon of innocence
and some instructions as to engaging
counsel. There was one sentence his
wife could not understand-"Take the
candle grease out Of my trousers" E"
Why Jim should be thinking OF the
candle grease in his trousers at such
a time she could not imagine. The
sheriff had noticed It, but did not sus-
pect that It meant more than it pur-
ported to express. Mrs. Somers could
make nothing Of It, When taking can
die grease out Of clothes she was used
to ironing the spot with paper be-
tween the cloth and the iron. That's
what pop MEANS" said little Tom.
"Put the iron on It," The mother
looked at the boy In astonishment.
Then she heated an iron and placed
1t on her husbands letter. When she
took 1t of there were brown letters
written In postscript:
"Tom, 12 night, tie rope & claw
hammer to cord under rear window"
The expression on little Toms face
when his mother read him this post
script was remarkable to behold. His
eyes were as big as butter plates and
at once took on pride and a sense OF
responsibility. His fathers freedom,
his life. depended upon him. In ten
seconds he had grown ten years older
That night the little fellow, with
forty feet of rope coiled over his right
shoulder and under his left arm, the
claw hammer tied to one end OF It,
stole away to the sherifrs house.
When he reached the yard he stopped
and looked over the fence, expecting to
see a guard. There was no watch out
side. A deputy was asleep near the
prisoners door, but there was no fear
except Of a mob, which might come at
any moment. Little Tom crawled TO
the house. Reaching the rear, he hunt
ed about and soon found the end OF a
cord that looked like the tail Of his
kite, for IT had been made OF strips Of
his fathers shirt Attaching to it the
end Of the rope, with the claw hammer.
he crRwled away and waited.
Somers had one end OF the cord in
his hand. 1t had been let down
through a square in the window from
which a pane had been removed by
digging out the putty with an edge Of
the tin backing box. As soon as the
Jerking from below ceased he pulled
and, getting the rope and the claw
hammer, noiselessly removed the nails
over the window and raised the sash.
tamming a nail in between sash ana
casing to hold the former up. Then.
tying the rope to the chair, he got out
the window, pulled the chair across II
and let himself down.
"Popp'
ssHistl"
Taking his boy by the hand, Somers
stole away. He found his wife in the
road, and the three went home. Then
Jim, shaved and arrayed In his wifea
apparel, went-nobody knew where
Soon after the escape suspicion for
the murder fastened upon another
man. He was tried. convicted and
confessed. Then Jim Somers returned
to his home and was welcomed peni-
tently by his neighbors.