The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-25
ESCAPED CONVICT CAPTURED.
William Smith Be- Behind Peniten-
tiary Bars.-Made his Escape
from the 1nfirmary with
Harry Dean.
News and Courier.

News and Courier.
Columbia, October 19.-William
Smith, one Of the two convicts who
escaped from the state penitentiary
on the night Of October 10, is again
behind the prison walls. His con-
federate, Harry Dean, is still at large,
as are the two convicts, Walter AL
len and Jim Sudduth, who got out a
few days after Dean and Smith.
Smith was captured last night at
his uncle's home. near Inman. by two
penitentiarv guards, Sondley and
Harley, who left Columbia yesterday
morning on the early train for neigh
borhood Of Smith s old home, in Spar
tanburg county. Sure enough they
found Smith in the field with his uncle
in the upper portion of Spartanburg,
and at once made arrangements to
bring him back to the penitentiary.
They arrived early this morning and
when Superintendent Griffith went to
his office this morning; ne had long
talk with Smith, in which Smith told
how he and Dean got away. The story
confirmed the superintendent the
ory as to the escape.
At one time Dean had been turnkey
in the main building, and at that time
he had secured a piece Of a key
which he used on the night of Oetob
er 10 to open the door Of the cell in
the old infirmary, where he was con-
fined. To do this he mad to use a
clever device, which must have taken
him some time to study out. Dean
then aroused Smith and told him to
60 with him. Smith now is of the opin-
ion that Dean took him along merely
because Dean needed him, as he could
not we'll get out alone. The two men
went over the prison wall by the side
of the Columbia Canal, and their des-
cent was perilous, especially as each
man has a lame arm. Smith told
Capt. Griffith that when they got out
side he and Dean came around the
penitentiary wall towards the front
of the building and passed by the
new water-works plant, going towards
the railroad track. When they reach
ed the railroad Dean told him to wait
few minutes, that he thought he
could get some clothes, as both men
were in prison garb. Within few
minutes Dean returned with suit for
each Of them and with some money,
and the men then started on their
journey. Evidently Dean had a friend
nearby, and Capt. Griffith thinks it
was either some relative or that it
was a former convict who, having
served his term, lives near the pris-
on now.
Dean and Smith got out Of the pris-
on about 2 a. m. They walked to
Blytaewood, which is on the railroad
between here and Charlotte, and there
they caught the train which left Co
lumbia at 6 a. m. At Charlotte they
separated and Smith went to CASTOR
ia, where his sisters lives and from
that place to Inman. He declares he
does not know where Dean went.>
When Harry Dean was convicted
of murder and sent to the ''pen' for
life his brother, Ed. Dean, was a
guard at the state prison. He handed
to Capt. Griffith his resignation when
he knew his brother was to be pris-
oner, and he was then elected to a
position on the police force Of Co.
lumbia, which he later resigned to be-
come guard at the Federal peniten-
tiary. Ed Dean is young man who
bears a fine reputation araong those
who know him, but the fact that he
had been in this section about the
time his brother escaped made some
persons suspicious, and hear1ng the
rumors Ed Dean went to Capt. Griffith
and told him he hoped he was not
suspected of aiding Harry to escape,
as he would certainly have advised
him not to do so had he known it.
Other members Of Harry Deans fam
ilv have written to him to the same
effect.
There has as yet been no news Of
Walter Allen and Jim Sudduth, the
two TRUSTEES from the Dark Corner OF
Greenvi!le county, who walked away
from the prison on the morning of
the 10Th. But they will almost GER
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