The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-07-28
FOR FIFTH TIME.
Isaiah Hamilton, the Expert at
Shucking Shackles, is Betrayed by
His Dusky Sweetheart.

Charleston, July 26.-Constable
Nike White, of Magistrate Mat
thew's office, last Saturday night
landed Isaiah Hamilton, colored, be-
hind the bars of the county Jail, af-
ter the African had for the fifth con-
secutive time made successful es-
cape from the Colleton County chain
gang two weeks ago. AS a result of
the capture Isaiah will now spend the
rest of his sentence in the State Pen.
itentiary at Columbia, while Constable
White is richer man by $50, or will
be as soon as he receives the reward
which has been offered for the cap
ture of the notorious negro by the
anxious Colleton County authorities
Hamilton was sentenced to three
years of hard labor in Colleton Coun-
ty last year, on being found guilty of
having committed the crime of lar
ceny Of live stock. The big African
had no sooner been put to work on
the chain gang near Meggett's than
ne promptly rid himbelf Of shackles
and fled for parts unknown He was
recaptured, but he could not be held
on the chain gang by the guards, as
he persistently showed himself to be
an adept in loosening the shackles
which bound his feet Five times he
fooled the chain gang guards. But
Isaiah, although willy enough in some
respects, made the fatal mistake CT
coming to his old haunts in this city,
primarily to visit an old sweetheart.
Laura Gadseden, colored, Of Magis-
trate Matthews Office, was instrument
tai in capturing Isaiah no less than
three times after he had made his
escape from thet chain gang. Gra-
ham nabbed him about two months
ago in Darktown and sent the desper-
ate negro back to Meggett's.
On making his escape from the
gang for the last time Isaiah, as US
ual. made for Charleston, and again.
II.
The damsel, however, had in the
| meantime become instilled with fear
| of her desperate lover and was also
| afraid that the fact of his being
found near her would involve her in
| to trouble. She accordingly resolved
to aid the law in sending Isaiah back
to the chain gang, and accordingly
! revealed to Constable White that he
was again coming to see her on Sat-
urday night. 1t was arranged that
she would entertain him until Con-
stable White. assisted by Graham,
was able to effect an entrance into
the house and nab the escaped con-
vict. The coup was successfully car
ried out late Saturday night, Isaiah
surrendered without struggle.
1t is stated that after Hamilton
had been brought back for the fourth
time the Colleton guards were deter
| mined to prevent the negro from
| again making his escape, and weigh
ed him down with no less than two
hundred pounds of ball and chain.
| When Isaiah wished to talk a walk
he was forced to stop after every fifth
| step in order to pull twenty yards
or heavy chain after him, which
would otherwise have made it i'm
possible for him to go further The
| convict however, succeeded in riding
himself Of the impedment, and also
IN eluding the vigilance of his guards
| in spite of everything. Hamilton will
not be given another chance to break
| his letters on a chain gang, but will
he taken to Columbia, there to be
| lodged behind the walls Of the Pen
| itentiary