The Ocala evening star., 1921-02-14
SURE VENGEANCE
AND SUDDEN
Elijah Jones, Escaped Convict, Rapist
and Robber, Swung to a Tree
Southeast of Ocala Sat
urday Evening

Southeast of Ocala Sat
urday Evening
deeds of Elijah Jones, alias Win Call,
an escaped convict, came to a sudden
end Saturday evening, when word
went out all over the county that his
ljfeIess body was swinging to tree
two miles southeast of Ocala.
Elijah Jones was "bad nigger."
He was all the worse from the fact
that his criminal streak ran to sneak
.thieving and rape rather than murder
or one of the other crimes that would
PUT his life in danger. His real name
seems TO have been Will Call and this
apparently was his fourth escape. HIS
first sentence was. it is said, for at
tempted rape. When he left the
state prison the other day he was
serving fourteen-year sentence for
breaking and entering, under the name
Of Elijah Jones.
Thursday afternoon, girl going
from school to her home about a mile
southwest of the city limits, was at
tackled by strange negro, but escaped
from him. Men everywhere in the
vicinity of the crime turned out to
hunt for the assailant. While busi-
ness and care of their families COM
PEELED many to return home after a
few hours search, others continued to
hunt all night, arousing other men in
various parts of the county. The
hunt was continued all day Friday,
and it began to be thought that the
negro had escaped. Late Friday,
however, the astonishing news came
that an aged white woman had beell
successfully assaulted by a negro. and
the search was taken up with renewed
vigor, it occurring to all that the two
outrages were the work of one man.
However, there were no signs of the
miscreant; no negro filling the de-
scription of the old woman's grandson
being seen, and fear that he had
escaped began to spread. But about
p. m. Saturday, Messrs. B. F. Con.
don and j. G. Swain, in Mr.. Condon's
car, passing the fair grounds, saw q
strange negro, and promptly captured
and brought him to the Jail. Here
the sheriff looked him over closely anG
decided he did not fit any of the de-
scriptions of the criminal, but never
theless locked him up until the matter
could be definitely decided. 1t was re
ported around town that negro haC
been brought to the Jail, but was tht
wrong one, so no excitement followed
Soon after this, the sheriff was no
titled by phone that strange negr'
had been seen on the other side of tn,
Oklawaha, and at once sent his deputy
Walter Perkins. over there. At tina
time the sheriff had been on duty al
most forty-eight hours, so he stoppe'
in his Office, listening for phone mes
sages that might come in from tn
different bands of searchers.
Shortly before sundown, the oil
woman, the negro's victim. wa
thought to the Jail by small party o
her friends, and asked permission +
see the negro, so he might be identi
: fed, If he was the right one. tn
TAILOR phoned the sheriff, who at one
went to the Jail. Seeing only fey
men and they not in a threatening at
titude, and not believing the negr
was the criminal, the sheriff admitte
the old woman and few friends I
the Jail, and then began bringing ou
from the cells his negro prisoners, on
by one. Two were led out and give
!. clean bill, but when the third, tn
Eewly captured man, was brought ou
he was identified at once. And he wa
mt once grabbed. Being alone, an
very much surprised, the sheriff wa
unable to keep the bunch of men VIII
had come in with the woman, froI
rushing the negro out of the Jail, an
when he was out the comparativel
small number who had been on tn
Jail grounds few minutes before, ha
largely increased. They showed til
negro into big car, which followe
by several others. and the processio
being added to every few second
whizzed across town, utterly disr,
garding the speed limit, and out II
Lake Weir road toward Belleviey
About two miles south of town, the
stopped, and soon the negro wa
swinging to tree.
On the way out, the negro wa
questioned by his captors, and a
knowledged that he committed Il
crime against the old woman. Il
also reported that he owned up to Il
attack on the little girl the day befor
On being asked why he was guilty
these crimes, he replied that he W.
tired Of the women Of his own IN,