The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-02-28
LIGHT. ON HISTORY
Of MOSES SPEAKS
Escaped From Central
Hospital in 1909
HIS PREVIOUS RECORD

Was Brought Il Central Hospital
June 23. 1909. But Escaped July %,
hv prizine Bars From Window and
Jumping Is Feet to GrOund-Was
Lost to the World After That
Turned Up in North Carolina Again
This Month and Committed Das-
,ardly Cri,ne-Lodged in GuiIford
Jail.
In the history Of Moses Speaks, as
written by those who furnished news
paper stories about his tragic deeds
near High Point last Saturday morn
ing, there has remained up TO the
present time a blank leaf, which may
be filled by the story OF how in 1909
he was brought to the State Hospital
At Raleigh and escaped after a
months time by jumping fifteen feet
TO the ground from a window, the
bars of which he loosened by means
of an imprOviSed screw driver. A visit
to the hospital yesterday and a look
at the desperate mans record dis
1'TN'' to1AS Ib3Sl ioS '|SAi
brought out before.
1t Will be remembered that on last
Sunday morning the state papers car
riei stories Of how one John Speaks
tin reality Moses SpeakS), an insane
man, went to the home of his son-in-
law, Will Miller, and stabbed him to
death with a sharp knife. then to the
room Of his wife, whom he killed in
stant1v, stabbing her to the heart. a
third person whom he went after in
his madness was q sou. but he man
aged to scap The wild man was
pursued by a posse and was at last
located Monday night in Yadkin coun-
~. near the Wilkes line. He fought
desperately, but vas captured and
taken to Greensboro and lodged in the
Guilford county jail. In the struggle
he seriously. probably fatally wounded
Andrew Gregory, striking him
through the kidneys with & butcher
knife.
1t has been stated hat Speaks is
thought to nave been confined i'll an
asylum in Massachusetts, that he was
given his liberty. brought to the state
line and turned loose. This may be
true, but for q month at least, Speaks
was il the State Hospital at Raleigh.
The Blank Page Filled.
on the morning OF July 90, 1903,
Tile News II Observer carried tbs
story Of Speaks escape from the State
Hospital here and on yesterday a rep
resentatiye Of this paper visited the
hospital to gather additional facts.
Record Up to July, 1908.
on June %, 1909. Moses Speaks, Of
GuA!ford tCunty. was admitted to
the State Hospital at Raleigh, being
brought here from the Guilford Il
~ jail. Arrangements had been
mad to have him taken to the Nor
canton Hospital. but upon request Of
friends and his wife he was trans
ferred to Raleigh. While at the hos
pital here he was comparatively quiet,
but grouchy. He never told any one
Of his intention to make MS escape,
but IN the morning of July %, it
WAS found that he had escaped by
pricing the bars from his WlnuoW and
jumping fifteen feet to the ground. No
trace Of him could be found. His
wife was notified OF his escape, as was
also the sheriff Of Guilford county.
As far as car be learned no more was
eVer heard OF Speaks until about the
time he committed his dastardly
crime last week, near High DIN 1t
has been currently talked during the
past week, the information having
been gained through the articles III
connection with his crime, that Speaks
came from Massachusetts some time
ago, but when he went there it is not
KNOWN. There is a theory that when
he escaped fromthe Raleigh Hospital
he made his way to the North, and
was probably lodged in III asyluni
there.
he recorGs 1t the hospital here
show that Speaks was com
mittea there in 1909; that he WAS 46
Years old and had q wife and eight
rhlidIen, the youngest child being
tour Years old. He was BORN in
Wilkes county, and for ten years pre-
Flous 90 1909 he had suffered from at
lacks Of a mental disease, the cause
of which Was unknown. He would
wander about the country and abuse
his family.