The log cabin Democrat., 1916-01-25
BL0UNT GIVES up:
REWARD To Wife
WANTED TO SEE FAMILY
CONVICT APPEARS AT MAY
FLOWER AND SURRENDERS
TO OFFICERS.

Lee Blouht, who with 20 other state
conv!cts, escaped from the prison
stockade at Cummins Wednesday
night, surrendered to Deputy United
States Marshal Charles O. Payne and
K. q. Anderson, clerk of the peniten-
itlary commission, at Palarm last
night. Blount had been at his home
one mile from Maytiower since Sat
urday night. He left Mayfower
early last night and walked to Pa
larm, where he gave himself up to
the officers. lie was taken back to
the penitentiary in an automobile.
u wanted to see my wife and
baby Blount told reporter for the
Log Cabin Democrat over the tele-
phone from Palarm last night, so |
went through the hole with the rest
Of them. | hurried home as fast as
could"
Blount created sensation about
0 clock yesterday afternoon by APP
pearing on the streets of Mayflower
in citizens clothes. Although it had
BEEN rumored he was near there, no
one outside his family had seen him.
, In telling OF the escape, Blount
said: Between 8 and 9 O'Clock We'd
nesday night a fellow prisoner came
TO me and told me to take off my
night-gown and put on my clothes.
asked what it meant, and when he
said it was for my own good, | quick
Is obeyed. | was directed to the
toilet where | found a big fellow
known as 'Curley' who lifted a board
and | crawled through hole in the
floor. AS soon as | got outside the
stockade | got two bricks and some
wire and tied a brick to either foot
10 keep bloodhounds off my trail
Il went to the river, a quarter
mile away, where | remained until
the next night. Then | caught a
freight train and went through Pine
Bluff and Little Rock to Argenta
Leaving Argenta before daybreak
Saturday | took to the woods. In
Palarm bottoms | waded water up to
my neck. | arrived home Saturday
night, badly stove up ana tired
still wore my stripes. | burned my
trousers when | got home, but kept
my shirt,
Blount said that while in a box car
Friday night at Pine Bluff he had a
close call when Warden Horton and
another officer passed the car, but did
not look IN. They were within three
feet Of him, he said.
Il Jared pretty we'll while on the
way home,' he told the reporter. Il
got all the food | wanted | wanted
to see some one | knew to give me
another suit of clothes, but | ddn' ."
In speaking of those who planned
the getaway, Blount said: Il think
Acie and Otis Pendleton planned the
escape | intended to return to the
penitentiary as soon as | saw my wife
and baby My father-in-law, Walter
Mceks, telephoned the officials Sun
day that | was at home and would
return in a few days. | wrote a let
ter myself telling the warden to not
worry, that would return Tuesday,
Commissioner Anderson last night
turned over to Blount's wife the $50
reward fer his capture.
Blount was sentenced to Is years
in the penitentiary on March 13,
1915, for the killing of Deputy Sher-
ity Oscar l.. Honea, near Mayfiower,
on October %, 1914. Blount was in
dicted on January 13 for murder in
the first degree. Unable to employ
counsel the court appointed Attor-
neys J. c. Clark and A. l.. Barber to
defend him, and set March 10 as the
date of his trial. Two days were tax
en- up in selecting the jury, 81 We
niremen being examined. Blount be-
gan serving his sentence the day he
Was convicted.
Escaping from the penitentiary
constitutes felony and Blount is
liable TO another sentence, besides
haVinp his good time taken from