davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1919-08-31
GlOOM> OLD CELL BLOCH THAT FEW LIKE.

the place. So he sent the warden a
message asserting he would be much
happier in Sing Sing than trying to
forge ahead in the cold world outside.
The warden informed him that there
was no way he could legally be taken
back and that he would have to make
the best OF his freedom. Gloomy
Gus" has since passed out of sight.
John Meeker was the most obstinate
prisoner Sing Sing authorities ever
tried to put out. His staying quail
ties were superb. State Detective
James Jackson, who retired last year
after forty-five years in Sing Sing g
official service, remembers the hard
time Warden Augustus A. Brush had
routing him from the institution.
Meeker killed Felix Mccarthy at
Walls Gate, an Orange county hamlet.
Convicted Of manslaughter, he was
given a short sentence Of one year
and six months. Influential friends,
believing he never meant to harm
Mccarthy. interceded with Governor
Grover Cleveland. The result was that
the Governor pardoned the prisoner
after he had served only six months.
News that a pardon, which is some
thing coveted by every prisoner, had
arrived at the prison Office for Meeker
was broken to him on the morning OF
July IL. 1858.
The fortunate inmate, however, did
not enthuse. When Warden Brush
advanced. reading the document,
Meeker turned to walk away. The
warden grabbed him and proceeded to
offer his congratulations
Don't Want Pardon.
II don't want any pardon" said
Meeker with an air OF nonohaiance.
You can keep it," Warden Brush
was nonplussed. The Oldest keeper
could not remember an instance be-
fore where a convict had spurned ex-
ecutive clemency or hesitated to leave
Sing Sing as soon as he legally could
do so,
Warden Brush and his assistants
tried all day long 10 persuade Meeker
to doff his hideous stripes, dress up in
civilian attire and go home. But he
waved them all aside
The prison stan was In a quandary
The sun., 1919-08-31

ING SING, which puts the fear
of the law in New Yorks Grim
~ inals and is dreaded by the
hardest Of them, has no terrors for
Charles Ortner.
He likes the gloomy old prison so
well he absolutely refuses to get out.
For nine months now he has been
eligible under the law for release, but
Warden Edward W Brophy simply
cannot get rid Of him. The warden's
whole official staff has tried persua-
sion and reasoning. but Ortner def
anly remains The 1850 other pris-
oners, who marvel at Ortner's fond
ness for prison life, would readily eX-
change places with him IL they could.
Ordinarily, all prisoners loathe Sing
Sing.
The odd attitude taken by Ortner
has the whole prison talking. 1t has
just brought to light other rare in
stances, some OF which are compara-
lively recent, of prisoners who either
refused to leave or begged to be taken
back to the prison.
Persons most familiar with Sing
Sing cannot understand what there is
fascinating about the old house OF
tragedy. Life in the dingy, damp
stone cells, which are veritable tombs,
is about as miserable as it could be.
The food, though wholesome, is only
Of plain, coarse variety. The time
passes slowly and the prisoners daily
grind is tax on both his nerves and
his patience.
Sing Sing life is so monotonous that
whenever there is the slightest chance
some one slips past the watchful
guards and escapes. Convicts, in fact,
resort to every form of stratagem to
break out In bygone days criminals
have assaulted and killed keepers and
risked being killed themselves to get
away from the place. Sometimes prls-
oners have planned and plotted and
labored industriously for months, or
even years. to trick the guards and
escape.
The Sculptor Burglar.
There is John McAllister. burglar
and accomplished sculptor. He worked
several days fashioning an ingenious
dummy" made to his own image and
likeness, with which he fooled the
keepers and escaped one night a few
weeks ago.
McAllister. who is but twenty-five
wears old, went to great pains making
his counterpart. OF dough and soap
composition he modelled a head with
his own profile and features and re-
produced the prominent Adams apple
Of his own throat. With his paint
brush he touched up the cheeks and
gave them a rosy complexion like his
own. He even went so far as TO cut
the hair from his own scalp and stick
The sun., 1919-08-31

of roaming over the world said Ship
sey, so l thought I'd come back and
stay here" There was nobody save
Jackson-still employed at the prison
who was working there the year Ship
sey decamped. Jackson, however, was
not around Just then.
Connaughton decided to look up
the escape records. He found from
them that a Shipsey had run away,
but there was an India ink mark on
his hand. As the stranger had no tat
too marks COnnaughton told him he
was taking. The vigilant head keeper
thought he was a crank trying to get
inside the institution and told him to
be going.
Had Mark Cut Away.
However, Shipsey mentioned the fact
that years before he had the India
ink mark cut out of his flesh TO pre-
vent being identified as the escaped
convict Connaughton consented TO let
him stay temporarily. When Detec-
tive Jackson, whose carefully trained
memory never forgot the face of a
criminal he once saw, encountered the
hSW aiilNal AS IeGbBIlZtu MN IN
stantly.
Before being told his name Jack
son exclaimed; $50 you're back again.
Shipsey! Well, it's about time" 1t
had dawned upon the prisons master
detective, before whose watchful eyes
$4,000 criminals have passed in his
day, how Shipsey and his accomplices
had given Keeper Bishop the slip and
made a successful bolt for freedom
fifteen years before. Within two
years Shipsey's reason failed him and
he was transferred by Detective Jack
son to the Auburn Lunatic Asylum,
Civilians at times try hard to stay
in Sing Sing. one summer night last
year a cavalcade was heard approach
ing through the darkness Sing Sings
main entrance. As the score of horse
men drew nearer the prison guards be-
came more cautious.
As they approached the procession
the keepers discovered that the horse
men We're all i'm service uniforms and
carried revolvers i'm holsters. Are
you lost?" queried a guard of the
leader.
The sun., 1919-08-31

NO, I guess not" replied the horse
mems commander. Isn't this Sing
Sing prison." When the keeper am
swered in the affirmative the officer
told him that the mounted men were
a platoon of Capt. J. A. Warmers
troopers of the State Constabulary.
Wed like to stay in the prison for
the night" said the sergeant trooper.
Tho guards laughed and informed the
warden. The troopers explained that
they had been riding all day. en- route
back to White Plains from a celebra-
ton no State. Their instructions
were, they added, always to put up at
State institution If they came across
one. However, the prison officials ex-
planned prison rules forbade keeping
any dodgers, except felons. i'm State
prison.
The troopers whipped up their
horses and were on Lieut. John wal
ton and other superiors gave them the
laugh when they told how they had
tried to stay in prison over night and
had been refused admittance.
William Forbes, a Yonkers burglar
who once escaped Sing Sing, created q
scene there later on by trying to force
bis way in. The day eX-Warden John
S Kennedy who was removed, departY
ed from the prison so did Forbes and
another "trusty." After travelling ten
hours they were flabbergasted when
captured by the Ossining police and
told they were still only a mile from
Sing Sing They had been hurrying,
eXcitedly, for hours, but got lost in the
winding streets and lanes and were
travelling around a Circuitous route.
All the while they imagined they wers
getting miles away from the bastile. !
Broke Out and In.
Forbes served his time and was dis
charged. When Thomas Mott Osborne
relgned as warden and the old prison
was n house of mirth, Forbes app
peared at the prison entrance with a
friend and tried to be admitted to SEQ
ball game. The doorkeeper recogr
nized him as an eN-convict and held
him up. Forbes Indignantly protested
that he had a right to show his COM
panion his old cell. He also explained
that he wished to see his old friends
on the prison baseball nine play an
outside team. After appealing to
Warden Osborne, Forbes, who oncs
broke out, was now able to break in.
Isadore Blum, swindler, who once
led a break of prisoners from Sing
Sing and was recaptrEed on MIRA
Helen Gould Shepard's beautiful coun-
try place at Irvington. felt the mag
netism of the old haunts again In
1916. when Mr.. Osborne was warden.
Prison attaches would laugh then
when they beheld "IZzy," as every ono
knew him. travelling de luxe back
and forth between the prison and the
depot whenever he laid aside his
financial cares in crookdom to go up
to Sing Sing to stay with his old
cronies over the week end. n
George Lambert, an escaped convict
who was recaptured was refused ad1
mittance to Sing Sing when he was
produced at the prison office on July
II. 1869 He was caught committing
grand larceny and given new SEN
tence to sing Sing. AS he had es-
capped nom Clinton prison. and stu
was owing that institution several
months, Warden Henry c. Nelson re-
fused to accept him at Sing Sing for
the new offence, but sent him back to
New York again.
The sun., 1919-08-31

slogan. / had II printed on posters,
over my portrait, and had the posters
nailed on fences, barns and bill boards
in every part Of the State. The posters
having been pulled down and torn up
by agents Of my competitor, / had
others nailed SO high, above the ground
by means of an elongated tack ham,
mer that they couldn't be reached
without a ladder.
Mass Meeting OF Three.
mo matter where a citizen looked
he saw my portrait and read the
words: Let the people decide One
man said that the sentence ran
through his head day and night and
that he had to keep step with 1t when
ever he walked abroad.
I'm the meanwhile was travelling
the State In an automobile. II saw
three men In a group / would stop and
make a speech. Preparedness, a mer-
chant marine and protection to home
Industries were my principal themes.
was nominated at the Republican
primaries and then was elected by q
plurality of nearly 10000 votes"
What do you see, as you look
ahead?" Senator F'relinghuysen was
asked. "You have been looking ahead
all your life" the interviewer added
1t was hot Washington morning
and Senator Frelinghuysen had been
working at his desk, stripped of both
collar and coat. He pushed his chair
back and said: Certain policies have
made the United States the greatest
wealthiest and happiest nation in the
world.
Now, I would like to have YOU
weigh those three words - greatest,
wealthiest. happiest. We complain, q
FREQ people always does, but we
wouldn't exchange our citizenship for
any other citizenship on earth Why?
Because we are great, rich, happy and
free. In business the policies that
have proved their merit are not cast
aside. No able manufacturer or mer-
chant is going to depart from the
methods that have brought him album
dant success and adopt a wholly ex-
perimental programme in the hope of
increasing the number of his custom
ers and the amount OF money that he
makes.
"Radicalism when 1t touches BUSH
ness has no standing in we'll astab-
lished concerns. There is progress in
business of course, but it is thought
out in advance. The fools who rush in
with formulas that have never been
tested settle finally with the sheriff.
Beware of FiEzIes!
"As a people we are face to face
with one of the gravest situations in
the history of the nation. We are
asked to scrap the principles on which
this republic was founded and put a
new rule into operation. I claim that
a successful man is worthy of a hear
ing, but that n fiZzle isn't.
who are asking us to tinker with
Socialism? Have they built our rail-
roads and factories? Have they de-
veloped our farms? Do they give la
Dor work and wages? Another word
and I'll leave the subject: Socialism
Is no less than the forerunner of Boil
u
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19
FRANKFORT
Girl Shot ON Boulevard

Sunday afternoon while Mr.. and Mrs
Willard Holloway and daughter, Miss
Elsie, were riding down the duPon
Boulevard in their touring car, they
heard the shot of a gun and heard
their daughter scream. Upon inves-
tigation they found that the daughter
who had been riding alone upon the
rear seat, had been shot just above
the temple. She was rushed to Sell
byville to a physician but the wound
was found to be not serious. How she
escaped serious injury no one can
understand. The wood was searched
for miles around but no clue as to
who committed the deed could be
found.
Miss Etha Smith, one of the teachers
in the public school, has been i'll for
the past week.
Mrs. Frank Mastin Of Dover has
been spending the past week with her
sister, Mrs. ~Mollie Hickman.
William Lynch of Omar died last
Friday after an Hines of about a week.
He was stricken with paralysis while
working on his farm. Funeral SER
vices were held al Omar NJ. f. Church
Of which he had been a leading mem
Der for many years. He is survived
by widow, two daughters, Mrs. Ray
mond West and Mrs. William Steele;
one son, Joseph Lynch, all of Omar.
md one son, Glen Lynch, of Philadel-
)hia
A number of our people have been
attending the Chautauqua at George !
own for the mast week and bava haan /
much pleased with the program.
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19
DACSBORO

Miss Myrtle Clogg is visiting her
sister, Mrs. Maude Thomas, in Will
mington.
Mr.. and Mrs. Isaac Timmons spent
Sunday with Elijah Timmons and fam
lily.
James Cranfeld of Salisbury, Nd,
is visiting his niece, Mrs. Anna Chan
dler.
Mrs. Jennie Johnson had as her
guests on Sunday Mr.. and Mrs. John
T. Wagamon, Mr.. and Mrs. Wagamon
I OF Georgetown and Mr.. and Mrs. E. T.
Elliott Of Millsboro.
John Davis and family of near Bish-
opville visited Alfred Brittingham and
family last week.
Misses Myrtle Baker and Sara Can
non and William Baker and Elisha
Cannon were Sunday visitors at the
home OF William Faucet, near George
town.
Willis Hudson of Bishopville was
caller in town this week
Mr.. and Mrs. Joshua Carmine enter
tanned Mr.. and Mrs. William Carmine
and Mr.. and Mrs. c. Henry of Laurel
on Sunday.
Miss Ida Steen is teaching again at
Phillips Hill school, near Millsboro.
R. D. Lingo, Jr., is having electric
lights installed in his home.
Raymond Lingo made a busiess trip
to Milford last Wednesday.
Mrs. R. H. Bunting is slowly con-
Yalescing. We are glad to see Joshua
B, Chandler out again.
y Charles Townsend will leave Mon
day for Kansas City, Mo-, where he
will study to be machinist. His sis
ter, Elizabeth, will leave on the same
date for Darlington Seminary, West
Chester, Pa.
Minos Tull left on Sunday for Phil
adelphia where he hopes to secure
employment
Mrs. A. w. Belts is spending some
time with friends in town.
Many people from here attended the
Chautauqua at Georgetown.
Sunday, September 2S, will be Con-
secration Day in the. M. P. Church
here. This day will be observed .
throughout the Maryland Conference.
A rally service will be held the first
Sunday in October.
When in Milford, stop at Pettyjohn's
Fountain. Cool. refreshing drinks and
supplee ice cream served as it should
be.
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19

The late storm blew the vane from
the top Of the M. E. Church steeple.
Since then the top of the spire has
looked like something clipped off. A
meeting was held on Monday evening
to decide to put up another vane and
where to put it. Some wanted it on
the spire, some on the chimney. and
others on the front gable. No decision
was reached and the meeting was ad-
journed.
Mrs. Ray Irwin of Seattle, Wash, for
merly Miss Ray Kilkins of Milton,
is visiting in town.
Franklin NAPLES, a student at Del
aware College, having spent his va
cation with his parents in Milton, re-
turned to Newark to resume his stud
les on Tuesday. d. A. C.
When in Milford, stop at Pettyjohn's
Fountain. Cool, refreshing drinks and
Supplee ice cream served as it should
he
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19
HOUSTON

Mrs. Elizabeth Ackerman died on
Sunday night about 6 o'clock at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. John Loft
land, aged 81 years. She had been a
great sufferer for several months and
often made the remark that she didn't
know why God didn't take her out of
her sufferings. She was a member of
the Presbyterian Church, having Join
ed that church 80 years ago Rev.
Bunstein was pastor of the church at
that time and is still the pastor, and
he and Rev. Grant Officiated at the
funeral. Mrs. Ackerman was always
kind and sympathetic, ready to lend
a helping hand to those in need and
trouble and she had a bright and
cheerful disposition, always trying to
look on the bright side of life. She
leaves behind her one son, Oscar Ack-
erman Of Milford, and three daugh-
ters, Mrs. John Lofand, Mrs. John
Dawson of this town and Mrs. Kipp
of New Jersey. Her body was sent for
burial at the latter daughters home.
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl Satterfield and
two children of Magnolia spent Sun
day with Mr.. and Mrs. Edgar Marvel.
Mrs. Daniel Collins of Milford spent
several days of the past week with
Mrs. Zack Johnson and family.
Mr.. and Mrs. William Reed of Prin-
cipio, Md, spent the week as the guests
of Rev. and Mrs. Grant at the par
sonage.
Mr.. and Mrs. John A. Roney and
two children of MoscOn, Pa, and Mr..
and Mrs. Edward N. Wells of Chester.
Pa, have been visiting Mrs. Charles
Perry and family.
Mr.. and Mrs. Nutter Marvel were
Selbyville visitors on Tuesday.
Mrs. Stokes Sparks of Chester, Pa.
who has been spending two weeks
with relatives and friends in and near
Houston, went back to their home on
Sunday.
Mrs. Howard Thistlewood and son,
theodore, were Milford visitors on
Monday.
Mrs. AlOnzo Hands and Mrs. Theo.
Thistlewood have been on the sick list
but are much better at this writing.
Rev. Mowbray, districts superinten-
dent, will preach in Houston M. E.
church on Sunday morning, the 21st.
John Collins lost both of his work
horses last week. The cause of the
deaths is unknown.
Mrs. R. H. Elliott and children re-
turned home Thursday from Whining
ton where they have been for several
lays.
On Tuesday Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas
Jahall had a large number of chill
iren invited to their home to cele-
1rate Master Carl's eleventh birthday
After the children had been enter
aimed by playing the Victrola and
playing games, they we're invited to
he lawn where table of good things
vas prepared, consisting Of cake, ice
,ream and candy. After the children
lad partaken Of these delicacies they
'eturned to their homes, Wishing Carl
many happy returns of the day.
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19
ie eye. Truly, Washington is beau

the eye. Truly, Washington is beau
tiful city.
Taking the B. & o. train at 11.50 p.
m, none of the scenery was in view
until the following morning when de-
spite the great fog lowering in the air,
l viewed the mountains of West Vir-
ginia. The sun was slowly rushing
into the heavens, casting a glare of
light over the peaceful scene. Rush
ing through village after village, tun-
nell after tunnell, the city of Parkers-
burg was finally reached. After a
short wait in Parkersburg, the train
slowly steamed on the elevated tracks
over the city and slowly crossed the
bridge over the Ohio River, and far
below piled various river craft, and far
to the east could be seen the city ly-
ing in the valley. The train steamed
swiftly through the fields of Ohio, into
Chillicothe and past Camp Sherman,
where the soldiers were bustling to
and fro. The long huts extended over
many acres, making a small city in
this beautiful Ohio valley. AS the
train steamed on the hills became
higher again and slowly the suburbs of
Cincinnati were passed and the tall
building on the hillside loomed Cnto
view and a small river was crossed. .
and with the changing of the bell the
train arrived in Central Union depot. .
After waiting in Cincinnati for three
hours, during which time l walked
through the streets that were likeN
hills, left on the New York Central
and in three hours landed in Indian
apolis, my destination.
Ralph Broughman.
When in Milford, stop at Pettyjohn's
Fountain. Cool, refreshing drinks and
Supplee ice cream served as it should
be.
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19
OCEAN VIEW


Mrs. Anna L. Burton on Tuesday
night.
The Society will meet at the home
of Mrs Kate Evans at Millville in Oc-
tOber, the last Tuesday night.
Prof Thomas H. Hudson has charge
Of the Bethany Beach school,; Miss
Sadie Evans in charge Of Muddy Neck
school; Miss Lydia Evans of Cedar
Neck school and Miss Sallie Evans is
teacher of a school near ROxana.
On last Sunday night the Epworth
League was conducted by Mrs. Warren
Evans
Preaching services were held Sun
day morning and Rev. Hallman, who
has been spending the summer at Re-
hoboth with his family, delivered an
impressive sermon. Prof. Robt. Kline
sang Calvary" which was appreciat-
ed. Preaching services next Sunday
morning.
We are sorry to hear of the recent
illness of George W. Tunell at the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Madeline
Holloway, but are glad to know that
he is improving.
Mrs. Emma Truitt has returned
home from a visit to New York
Mr.. and Mrs. James Dukes and Capt. I
Charles Gring of Philadelphia and Ell
wood Dukes motored from Philadel-
phia and spent the weekend with Mr..
and Mrs. John Evans.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Keene and
daughter Margaret, motored to Laurel
and visited Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur Pusey.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clifford Bishop and
son Of Philadelphia visited Mr.. and
Mrs. G. F. McCabe on Saturday
Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Steele and two
children of Dagsboro visited Capt and
Mrs. ]. N. Bennett on Saturday.
William Grace of Philadelphia and
Henry Grace Of Baltimore and Miss
Ethel Salmons of Wilmington have
been the guests of Mrs. Edgar Hooker.
Miss Effie Dick of Rehoboth visited
Miss Leah Burton recently.
Mrs. George ]. Quillen has gone to ]
Philadelphia to visit her husband who /
Philadelphia to visit her husband who
David Hudson, Harry Quillen and
Charles Aydelotte made a visit here
his week, having just returned from
1 trip to France.
Mrs. Elwood Dukes, who has spent
he summer at Bethany Beach and
CSSdn fASWs IeLuIueQ WlLu ueT nus
1and to Philadelphia this week.
Howard Evans, who has been spend I
ng his vacation with his parents, Mr.. {
md Mrs. John Evans, it now attend !
ng Beacom's College in Wilmington. \
Mr.. and Mrs. William Hickman, !
Mrs. Edward Hickman, Mrs. George a
Quillen and Mrs. Charles Aydelotte +
md Miss Ethel Burton attended the a
Jhautauqua several nights. On Tues !
lay night Charles and George Keene A
-ttended the Chautauqua at George Il
own. :
Elmer Evans, who has been at Camp "
zee, Va, is spending several weeks
With his grandmother, Mrs. Reuben +
)aisey. q
Mrs. Irwin Murray and Mrs. Joshua 9,
iray visited Mr.. and Mrs. Elijah
)aisey on Saturday. ,
Mrs. Sydney Evans has returned +,
rom Philadelphia to her home here. :,
Milford chronicle., 1919-09-19
EWES

Mr.. and Mrs. Timothy Stockley en-
tertained to dinner Sunday Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Walls and son of Milton.
G. r. Walls and wife, E. W. Robbins
and wife, Fred Walls and wife, John
Wilson and wife, Mrs. Emily Robbins,
Harold Creadick, Charles Robbins, Jr..
Amanda and Alma Walls.