The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1908-11-06
What Tommy Semers
Did For HE Father.
tOYiginA.J

ful-Of what neither kneW-0t0rte0
down the road.
He had walked 4 mile perhaps when
suddenly q frightful shrek and can
for help came from . wood beside the
road. In few minutes be was BE-
side the body Of . woman who had
| inst been murdered. His first thought
was that II found he would be accused
Of murder. His wife's words ''be
careful" came to him with an especial
meaning. He hurried back into the
rosd, emerging from the wood just In
time to meet man passing Int was-
IN. The man asked him II he had
heard. shrieks. 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
was arrested.
There being NO jail at hand. Semers
w taken to the sheriI's house and
put in 4 room In the top story. The
murder created great excitement and
threats wera made to lynch the man
against whom the evidence was %
strong. The sheriff swore In half q
dSsen deputies, armed them and wait
a , favorable opportunity to run biz
prisoner to the county Jail, ten miles
distant. but, hearing Of preparations to
take ~ man from him, desisted.
Meanwhile Jim remained In q room
nfty feet from the ground. with one
window and NO furniture except .
| chair. A nail was driven in over the
lower sash and under the upper one.
H. could not ct out -of the window,
ard there was not strip Of anything
to make Z rope Of to let himself down.
The sheriff had little fear Of his -
Gaping. The prisoner was not likely
to court being hunted BY mob.
The day after Jim Somefs was shut
up hss told he sheriff that his liver
wis sAtouhling him and asked for Z
lemon, II was given him. In closet
be- found an old, tin box Of backing.
with the lemon and the backing box
be determined to make an attempt to
escape and hide or leave the country.
His snfst 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 bef6se sending It. 1t con-
tained his pr0testation Of innocence
and some instructions ~ to engaging
counsel. There was one sentence his
wife could not undeutand-"Taks the
candle grease out Of my trousers."
why Jim should Be thinking Of the
candle grease in his trousers at such
time she could not imagine. The
sheriff had noticed It. but did not sus-
pect that It meant more than 1t pur-
ported to express. Mrs.. Somers could
make nothing Of 1t. When taking can
die grease out Of clothes she was used
to ironing the spot, With paper be-
tween the cloth and thSNron. That's
j 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
It on her husbands letter. When she
took 1t on there were brown letter.
written In Z postscript:
i ''Tom. II night, tie rope 4 CLAW
hammer to cord under rear window"
TIE expression on little Toms faca
when HE mother read him this post.
scriW was remarkable to behold. Hil
eyes, were - big % butter plates aud
at oAce took ON pride and q sense Of
rsspSnstbllity. His fathers fresdom
his life. depended upon him. In ten
sscohds ~ had grown ten years older
| INT night the little fellow, with
forty feet Of rope coilsd over bis right
shoulder and under his left arm, the
claw hammer tied to one end OF Il
seols away to the sheri6's house
When b reached the yard he stopped
and looked over the fence. expecting ia
- 1 guard. There was no watch out
| side. A deputy was asleep near the
prisonsr's door. but there was NO fear
except Of mob. which might come at
any moment. Little Tom crawled to
the house. Reaching the rear. he hunt
I'd about and soon found the end of 4
cord that looked like the tail Of his
kite. tor It had been made of strips Of
his fathers shirt. Attaching to II the
end Of the rope. with tho claw hammer,
hegcrawled away and waited.
! eomsrs had one end OF the cord in
lds hand. II had been let down
through q square in the window from
which q pane had been removed By
disging out the putty with an edge Of
the tin backing box. Al soon q the
jerking from below ceased he pulled
ana. getting the rope and the claw
hammer. noiselessly removed the nails
over the window and raised the sash,
Jamming a nail IN between sash and
casingtto hold the former up. Then,
tying the rope to the chair. he got out
the window, pulled the chair across Il
and let himself down.
"Popr'
s'Hist!''
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 wife's
apparel went-nobody knew where.
l. Soon after the escape suspicion for