The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-09
NEGRO WORKS SUCCESSFUL.
RUSE.
Hardy johnson Escapes from Sumter
Hospital Where He Had Been TAX
en- for Treatment.

Hello, is that the jail?" Is Mr..
owens there, Well, that negro who
took poison is gone from here" Yes.
Hardy Johnson. He left a while ago"
This may not have been exactly
the words used, but it was in effect
one side of the conversation which
TOOK pace between Jailer Owens at
the county Jail and one Of the nurses
on duty at the Sumter Hospital at
about l o'clock Sunday morning.
Hardy johnson passed one over on
the county physician, jailer, sheriff
and others Saturday and succeeded by
his ruse in making good his escape
Sunday in the early morning hours.
Hardy was once in the employ of DR..
Archie China. and while with him he
learned pretty well the ways at the
Sumter Hospital and he took his
chances in escaping from that insti-
tuition rather than from the county
Jail, where he knew Jailer Owens
kept watchful eye and wakeful
ear on his guests.
Saturday Johnson drank. or
made "a pretense of drinking the con-
tents of bottle of carbolic acid He
was taken to the Sumter Hospital,
| where he could be treated with bet
ter effect. There it was thought that
Hardy would die Saturday at any
| time, but he managed to survive
through the day and at night was de-
ing we'll.
Dr. Lennon told the sheriff that
he would have a dead negro on his
| hands in the day and ne thought
that there was no use putting a guard
on the prisoner under the circum-
stances as there was very slim chance
| Of his living. Coroner Flowers hung
around all day ready to make an in
vestigation or hold an inquest If nec-
| essary as soon as the negro was
dead. He even went 80 far as to
summon witnesses and to begin look
Ing for negro woman, who, 1t was
| alleged, had carried Johnson the
poison.
Confident in the advice that the
negro could not live, no guard was
| placed over him by the sheriff and
| Jailer Owens set to work on Saturday
doing his regular weekly cleaning up.
That night he several times telephon-
ed the hospital to ask about the pris-
oner, but was told that he was about
the same and that no guard was need
| ed. About l o'clock when the nurse
| on duty visited the ward where the
negro was supposed to be lying on
his dying bed. she found his cot va
cant, and the above mentioned tele-
phone conversation took place.
'Jailer Owens at once went out on a
search for the missing prisoner, but
was unable to track him any farther
than the sidewalk, where the tracks
made by his bare feet could no long
er be distinguished. Jailer Owens
thought. however, that Hardy had
paid him parting visit and taken
along one or two Of his best chickens
with him as a keepsake Of the pleas-
ant days he had spent in jail and a
| remembrance Of the jailer. The tracks
led up to his fowl house door and
from there on to the street. At noon
Monday Johnson had not been heard
OF, although officers are out looking
for him.
Hardy johnson was in Jail waiting
for trial at the present term of court
on the charge Of burglary. He began
to get uneasy several days ago at the
near approach Of court and it is now
| supposed that his drinking of the
poison was fake, and that in reality
he did not drink the acid. He only
spilled some of 1t on his hands face
and clothes and then successfully
worked his ruse so as to be taken to
the hospital where he could wait his
opportunity to escape. However, il
was he did not die, as it was thought
he would. and he did make good his
escape, and il is therefore. extremely
present term of court