The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-06-16
FORMER JUDGE
NOW IN PRISON
ASSOCIATE OF CREELNfAN IN
WRECKED CHICAGO BANK.
At Prison Door Till Deputy Arrives
with Commitment Papers-Stole
Away From Home.
AND HE WAITED FOUR HOURS

Chicago. June 16.-Shunning the
view OF his fellow men. former Judge
Abner Smith fed his Chicago home
and surrendered himself at the gates
of the state prison at Joliet. Purely
by chance he tossed on the rough cot
Of a cell in SOLITARY row." He will
be given new quarters.
At an hour when no one was astir
the convicted bank wrecker, accom-
panied by his brother, Henry ID.
Smith. he babe his wife farewell at
his old home In Aldine square and
boarded ear. that would carry him
TO the prison gates.
Long before noon the former jurist
appeared at the prison gates at Joliet
and knocked for admittance. It was
refused upon the ground that he was
ofIicially unknown to the warden OF
the prison.
Strolls In Joliet Streets.
Then for four hours the condemned
man and his brother wandered about
Joliet, awaiting the arrival of Deputy
Sheriff Sears, who bore the warrant
for his arrest and confinement.
During the interval that elapsed
between the unexpected surrender OF
the prisoner and his formal arrest by
the sheriff, Smith remained with his
brother, but when the hour of his
imprisonment arrived he was found
alone in a guard house near the
prison gates.
AZ o'clock Deputy Sheriff Sears
arrived at the prison and was direct
ed by Warden Murphy to the little
hut that faced the penitentiary's main
entrance.
There, seated alone, the deputy
found the gray haired man for whom
he was seeking. He was huddled
within the small space of the little.
house that formed the guardians
post. His brother had said goodbye
to him only few minutes before and
he had been left 20 face alone the.
ordeal.
Sears, armed with the mittimus
from the supreme court. had leaped
from a train In front of the prison
enclosure at O'Clock and had gone
20 the Office OF Warden Murphy.
Guarded by Sentinel.
The deputy was told that his pris-
oner was awaiting him. When. In
side the tiny lodge. which was guard
ed by a sentinel armed with a rife.
he found the man he Has seeking. he
announced that he represented the
sheriff of Cock county.
81 have been waiting for you" re-
piled Smith. as he arose and adj
vanced.
81 have a warrant for your arrest
and commitment 20 the penitentiary,
said Sears. drawing document from
his pocket.
81 am ready to 60" said Smith,
and he took a step toward the door
of the guard house. Then he saw
that several men with cameras were
waiting outside and hurriedly screene
waiting outside and hurriedly screened
his head and face with his overcoat.
II think those fellows out there
are waiting for me-" he said. and
drew his coat more closely about him,
in the hope Of preventing success
full attempt to obtain his photograph.
Then, almost blinded by his effort
at concealment. he stumbled out OF.
the guardhouse and across the short
stretch of walk to the sure safety of
the prison enclosure.
The long silken locks that had dis
|tlnguished the aged jurist ldurlng the
last two decades Of his life Of free
dom still were intact when he was.
|ushered to ''life row." but as matter
of course those locks will be shorn
and Smith will be like many hun
Idreds OF other convicts, a man with
with closely cropped hair and a suit
lof convict's clothing.