The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-10-07
HELD FOR MURDER
MANY YEARS AGO
J. B. Surles Taken From Bosom of
Happy Family To Answer For
Crime Committed in Wayne Co.

years ago, ]. B. Surl3s, alias Jim Jern
igan, 50 years old, of 222 Taylor st.
east, was arrested shortly after Z
o'clock last night lie was taken
from the bosom of happy family
which he has reared since the alleged
murder took place.
When Sheriff L. W. Rogers of Way.
ne county stepped in and addressed
him by his former name, "Surles' he
was taken off his guard causing him
to admit his identity.
Il was for the murder of King Ro
gers, whom he is alleged to have shot
TO death at turpentine factory, six
miles from Screven, Wayne county,
almost a quarter of century ago,
that Surles was arrested Armed with
a 44-calibe pistol and a shotgun, he
made his getaway in broad daylight,
making for the gold fields of Colorado
and adopting the name of Jernigan.
Only recently he came to Savannah.
He had not been here but a few
months, when Sheric Rogers got on
his trail For three months he work
ed on the case with only the vaguest
clue In fact Sheriff Rogers last night
admitted that had it not been for a
photograph Of Surles taken recently
he probably would never have been
run down. 1t was few days ago that
! it was learned that Surles was en-
ployed at the sugar refinery at Port
| Wentworth The photo, which was
taken in the barrel factory at Port
entwOTth quite recently, was pro
duced from some undisclosed source,
/ wherein the Swallowed man Surles,
was conspicuously identified in the
center of the picture, seated at ia
bic That's my man." exclaimed
/ Sheriff Rogers when he saw the pic
ture But to his grief the man had
| left the refinery some days before.
Later it was learned that he and his
family resided at the East Taylor
street address
Last night about $50 o'clock, &C
companied by County Patrolman Nc
Bride, Love ana Mitchell, Sheriff Ro-
gers went to the Surles home.
Through the window ne spotted his
man. apparently happy and surround
ed by his wife and two grown sons
seated at the supper table. At the
window the sheriff waited until the
| family had done with the evening
meal and the sons had gone out. Sher-
iff Rogers and the county officers then
entered the room where the compla-
cent Mr. Surles was absorbed in the
daily paper.
"Surles, I'm Sheriff Rogers of Way
ne county, and | came for YOU he
announced So overcome with sur
prise was he, Sheriff Rogers assert
ed, that he Immediately answered TO
the name. Only his wife was home
at the time, who was equally surpris-
ed, pleading that he wait until her
sons returned. However, no time or
chances were TO be taken and Surles
was taken to the county Jail and lodg-
/ ed in cell There he will remain
until he is taken today to Jesup, the
/ county seat of Wayne county, only a
! few miles from the scene of the muir
der Of King Rogers, quarter CEN
/ Jury ago. He will be arraigned on
/ the charge Of murder at an early date.
In 1894. Surles was foreman of a
Surpentine plant, operated about six
miles from the town of Screven,
! Wayne county. by a Savannah con-
Germ. One night in the late autumn
he found an anonymous letter in his
mail box, in which the unidentified
author threatened to shoot and kill
/ him il he didn't quit his job and leave
town. The threat Surles disregarded
and several days later he was dis
charged as foreman of the plant. He
returned to Savannah with the anon
/ ymous communication which he show
/ ed to a fortune teller. in this city, pay
| ing her 10 tell him the person who
wrote the letter. She informed him
I that the man who succeeded him as
foreman of the Wayne county plant
was the author of the threating note.
Returning to the town of Screven,
! he is alleged to have armed himself
/ with a "A calibre revolver and a shot
/ gun. He had George w. Long of
Screyen drive him to the plant. There
/ in broad daylight, when he espied
! King Rogers. he is alleged to- have
/ opened fire, emptYing the load of both
weapons into The new foraman's body,
killing him instantly. Surles then
made his escape TO the rugged foot
! hills of the Rockies in Colorado, dur
ing the gold fever. There he lived
for years under the pseudonym Jern-
/ iean According to Witnesses, Surles
had stated that he would never be ia
ken alive
since tbp murder was committed %