Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-01
TRAIN ROBBER CANDIDATE
Story Of Al Jennings Who Wants to
be Governor.
WAS SEVERAL TINES In PRISON.
Man Who Was Outlaw, and Afterward
a Convict, Hopes to Make a New
and Strange Record, Even for Amer
lea, the Home of Liberty.

Il
and Strange Record, Even for Amer
lea, the Home Of Liberty.
Al Jennings has written his autobi-
ography, or to be exact, he has die
tated it to a stenographer, and Will
Irwin has edited 1t. So Mr.. Irwin
says, by way Of preface and explana-
ton, and he adds (Irwin does) that the
stenographer alternately chuckled and
sobbed as she made her hen-tracks.
Consequently, in reading the auto
biography one is involuntarily on the
alert to recognize those passages
whereat the tender hearted stenogra-
pher sobbed and those which provok-
ed her to chuckle. 1t is the assump-
tion Of one reader that she sobbed
over the parts where Al tells Of his
experiences in prison. AS for chuck
les, there are plenty Of places which
might have melted those.
II she really didn't chuckle or sob,
but was intensely interested, she had
good excuse. 1t Is enough to inter-
est anyone, when a candidate for
governor Of a notable state writes a
book. which might be entitled, How
l Robbed Trains, Served Time and
Became Prominent In Politics"
That Is not the title, however. The
title Is, Beating Back" and the book,
which Is not one yet, is to be pub
lished by D. Appleton & Co.
Jennings, like the after-dinner
speaker, should need no introduction;
so much has been written about him
that It seems everyone must know
who he is. If there are any who do
not let 1t be explained that Jennings
was the celebrated train robber and
falling into the hands Of the law, he
took his medicine in the shape Of i'm
prisonment; that on his release, he
reformed and, instead Of disappear
ing and starting life under a new
name he pluclkily went to the scene
Of his crimes and began the Hercu-
lean task Of living down his past
where everybody knew him; that he
conquered hostility and suspicion by
an upright life. became prominent
citizen, and came within an ace Of
being elected prosecuting attorney Of
his county. Now he Is a candidate for
governor Of Oklahoma, and will prob
ably receive the Democratic nomina-
| ton In that Democratic state. Prob
ably one reason why Jennings sue
ceeded In making people believe in him
was that he did not snivel; he merely
announced that he was ION the
square," He found good girl to be-
lieve in him, married her. fought
against the natural pr sjudice that pre-
vailed regarding a train robber and
ex-convict, overcame 1t and became
not only the most popular man in his
county and state. but one of the best
known Oklahomans in the United
States. There is every reason to be-
lieve that the ex-train robber and ex-
convict will be the next governor, but
1t is not because he was a robber and
convict; here Is the same prejudice
against those peculiarities In Okla
homa as elsewhere. 1t is because he
has made good.
Jennings always mentions the fact
that he Is an ex-convict as soon as he
is introduced to a stranger-not be-
cause he is proud Of 1t, but because he
doesn't want to sail under false col
ors
From the first I nailed my colors
to the mast" says he in telling of
his life since his release from the
Ohio penitentiary. Whenever had
more than a passing talk with new
man, / contrived to tell him that
had been an outlaw and convict.
I'm some cases this has produced
new acquaintance to know the worst.
It gave him his choice between seek
ing and avoiding me.
LET me say that nine men out OF
ten to whom I made this frank ad-
mission renewed the acquaintance.
OF all the disgraces / know, none
would sting me more deeply than to
have some man say: That fellow
learned that he is an ex-convict.'"
His New Robbery Method.
Born in Virginia, Jennings ran
away from home at the age Of eleven,
and after many vicissitudes became
cowboy. He came east, went to the
University of West Virginia, studied
law, was admitted, and sought his
fortune in the just-opened territory
Of Oklahoma. The law was largely
that of the gun in those days Jen-
nings' brothers got mixed up In
shooting affray with opposing liti-
gants in which Jennings brother Ed
was killed and his brother John
wounded. The other brothers, Al
and Frank, went on the trail Of VEN
geance, and from consorting with
outlaws, gradually became outlaws
themselves. Finally Al became the
chief of his train-robbing gang. His
account Of the methods follow:
There are two ways Of going at 1t.
Under the old method, used always
Dy the DdllOH DOyS, t"o Va shS ooAe'
mount the forward end Of the bag
gage car a station down the line.
When the train starts they crawl over
the tender, hold up the engineer and
fireman, and force them to make
stop at the point where the rest Of
the gang is waiting. But II the train
men have heavy consignment in the
express car, and therefore expect to
be robbed, they watch that baggage
platform; you risk a complete fizzle.
We used another method. We pick
ed point where the train had to stop
for water, or else we held up signal
man and made him flag her." As
soon as the train stopped, part Of the
gang would begin a fusillade from
both hands in order to cow the pas
sengers and the crew. II passenger
showed his head out of the window,
we would smash over his head.
In the meantime two Of the gang
would attack the engine, one keeping
the engineer and fireman covered un-
til the other turned water into the