The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-07-04
Hundreds Of innocent Men in the penGnaeS Of America Ills the
Opinion Of John j. Oxford Who Spent Seven Years in Exile
Us the

thought that I was guilty or limo
cent Of the charges against me.
did not know what his attitude
would be towards me.
Realizing my embarrassment, he
said oxford, you need not worry
about me. ] believe that you are
innocent. ! will stand hy you. No
one will ever know where you are
through me-"
He remained loyal 10 me through
the years that followed Every year
he returned TO Plainviow 10 visit
his father and mother, but never
told anyone where / was While
there he learned that there were no
indictments against me at Plain
view; that only one Indictment ex-
listed against me, and that was az
Olton, Texas, in the adjoining coun-
~ % Plainview. ! had been inform
ed and believed all these years. that
two indictments existed against me
at Plainview. But Plainview, too,
had been loyal 20 me.
There is a Limit to Human
Endurance
Years passed ] was still IN Bill
ings, walking the streets. Ny wife
was teaching school on peninsula.
For five years she taught be- VIII
lagc school at Olivia. Tex AN
this weighed heavily On my mind.
Through worry and grief, { sank
TO greater depths Year 0y year
became possessed with greater
bitterness for an the world and ev-
erything in It,, for 90 me there was
no good; but above all a bitterness
toward the men who had prese uted
me until this had become a diaboli-
cal hatred endowed with fndish
proclivities
AT last my mind slipped and ! be-
came insane. This part Of my ex-
perience is just as vivid and clear
to my mind as any other part Of II.
Although in this condition Just sew
en- DAYS, 20 my mind, my activity
was great and exceedingly drastic.
For months prior to this delirium
my mind mad brooded and planned
daily returning to Texas to destroy
/ the men who had destroyed my
/ happiness. For lack OF space, /
| cannot give a description Of this
I terrible maelstrom Of the brain. II
suffices 20 say that | thought ! was
] in Texas and had carried out in
fiendish delight this awful purpose
When | came to myself, l. was
still in Billings. and had known
nothing Of what | did there during
this one week The imaginary ey-
perience--a vivid reality 20 me-is
fully depicted IN my book, SEVEN
YEARS IN EXILE" The book will
be published this fall; later it will
be dramatized in moving pictures
II contains the entire account Of my
seven years experience while in ex-
he, and consists of thirty chapters
amounting 90 a story Of seventy
five thousand words
Declared Innocent a Last
After my mental collapse, / real
lied that unless ! made a great ef-
fort Co get away from my thoughts
and back to nay normal self that !
would become hopeless. ! made the
fight J forced myself 20 go into
society and never allowed myself
To- be alone. In three months ! was
normal
At last success crowned my ef-
forts in tho real estate business.
had we'll equipped office In the
Montana Power Building owned
ln automobile I had q good bank
credit with the American Bank and
Trust Company During 1917 /
cleared ten th01saai dollars In the
land business. Living an these wears
with this people under an assumed
name with an indictment OBJ crime
over nay head, had gained their
love, respect and confidence When
/ went into exile ! took myself with
me. ! was not a criminal when
left; ! could not be one away.
was ready now 90 return to
Texas and stand trial ] had money
TO defend myself and prove my
innocence. took the matter up
with my uncle, b. H. oxford, an
attorney. and declared my willing
ness Co return and stand TRIAL. He
impar ed This Information 20 the