Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-05
What Tommy Somcrs
Did For His Father.


down the road.
lie had walked Il mile perhaps when
suddenly frightful shrek and call
for help came from wood beside the
road. Iii II few minutes he was be-
side the body OF Il woman who had
just been murdered. His first thought
was that If found he would be accused
of murder. Ills wifc's words BE
careful" came to him with nm especial
meaning. lie hurried back into the
road. emerging from the wood just In
time to meet man passing In II wag-
on. The man asked him IL lie had
heard shrIcks. Jim replied Yes and
NO 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
WINS arrested.
There being no jail ut hand. Somcrs
was taken to the shcrifrs house and
put IN n room In the top story. The
murder created great excitement. and
threats were made to lynch the man
against whom the evidence WINS so
strong. The sheriff sworc In half II
dozen deputies. armed them and wait
cd II favorable opportunity to run his
prisoner TO the county jail. ten miles
distant, but, hearing Of preparations TO
take his man from him. dcsistcd.
Meanwhile Jim remuincd In room
nifty feet from the ground, with one
window and no furniture except n
| chair. A nail WINS driven IN over the
| lower sash and under the upper one.
| He could not get out of the window,
and there was not II strip of anything
| To mike rope of to let himself down.
| The sheriff Ind little fcnr of his cs.
Gaping. The prisoner was not likely
to court being hunted by Il mob.
! The dry after Jim Soncrs WIS shut
up he told the sheriff that his liver
was troubling him and asked for
| lemon. II was given him. In n closet
, he found an old tin box OF backing.
/ With the lemon aud the blncking box
he determined to make an attempt to
escape and hide or leave the country.
| Ills first move was to ask for pen
/ and paper with which TO write letter
to his wife. His request was granted,
but OF course his letter was read by
the sheriff before sending 1t. 1t con-
tanned his protcstatiQn of Innocence
and some instructions MS to engaging
counsel. There was one sentence his
wife could not understandable tho
| candle grease out OF my trousers"
, Why Jim should he thinking of tho
candle grease In hs trousers MT such
1 n time she could not Imagine. The
sheriff had noticed 1t, but did not sus-
pcct TINT II meant more than II pur-
ported TO express. Mrs. Somcrs 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 mt the boy In establishment.
Then she heated an iron and placed
II on her husbands letter. When she
took II OF there were brown letters
written In postscript:
tom, - 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 rs big as butter plates and
Mt once took on pride and sense OF
responsibility. His fathers freedom,
his life. depended upon him. In ten
seconds nc 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 10 one end of II,
stole away to the shcrlff's house.
When he reached the yard lie stopped
and looked over the fence expecting 10
see guard. There was no watch out
side. deputy was asleep near the
prisoners door. but there was no fear
except of a mob. which might come Mt
any moment Little Tom crawled To
the house. Reaching the renr, he hunt.
cd about and soon found tho end OF Il
cord That looked like the tail of his
kite. for II had been made of strips of
his fathers shirt. Attaching to 1t the
end OF the rope. with the claw hammer,
lie crnwled away and waited.
Somers Ind one end of the cord in
his hand. II Ind been let down
through square In the window from
which 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 lie pulled
md, getting the rope and the claw
hammer. nolselcssly removed the nails
over tho window and raised the sash,
tanning nail IN between sash md
casing TO hold the former up. Then,
tying the rope TO the chair. he got out
the window. pulled the chair across it
and let himself down.
"Popv
"Iistw
Taking his boy 10y the hand. Somers