Thomas A. Currens.--One of the most unique characters to be found in the striped ranks of the Kansas penitentiary is that of the man who is herein described. This convict is fifty-two years of age, and a native of Kentucky. His life, save a short time spent in the army, has been one of crime. He was a courageous lad. Leaving his home at the early age of ten years, thus deprived of all parental protection and restraints, he formed bad associations, and soon his future career was in the direction of crime. The greater part of his boyhood was spent in city and county jails and reform schools. At the age of twenty-two years he was convicted on a charge of horse-stealing and sent to the Frankfort, Ky., penitentiary for six years. After serving four years he was pardoned by the Legislature. He remained out of prison for the two following years. We next find him in "limbo" in Indiana. He was arrested, and twenty different charges were preferred against him. By pleading guilty to the count of stealing a wagon, the court dismissed the other cases and gave him a sentence of three years at hard labor. He was taken to the State's prison. Shortly after his arrival he was put to work running an engine during the night-time. After five months had passed away, Thomas, reaching the conclusion that he did not enjoy watching over an engine during the lonely hours of the night, determined to escape. Stealing an old suit of clothes belonging to an officer, which he drew on over his suit of stripes, he scaled the walls and was once more a free man. It was a cold winter's night. After traveling some distance through the woods his feet were almost frozen. Daylight was now approaching. He must find a place of hiding during the coming day. In a few hours he would be missed at the penitentiary. The alarm being given, the usual reward being offered, scores would be on the lookout for him. Approaching a farmyard, he sat down and cut up his striped pantaloons and wrapped up his almost frozen feet. He then crawled under a hay-stack. In this place he came near being discovered, for in a couple of hours the farmer came out to feed his cattle, and as chance would have it took the hay from the stack under which the convict was secreted. As he was removing the hay, several times prongs of the fork sank deep enough to penetrate the flesh of the runaway. He endured thispitchfork probing heroically while it lasted, and was thankful when the cattle had received sufficient provender. Here he remained until nightfall. He did not renew his journey until the farmer and his family had retired and were in the land of dreams. Almost starved, uninvited he enters the kitchen and helps himself to what he can find. His hunger being appeased, his old habit of taking things that he should leave alone, forced him into the bed-room of the sleeping farmer, and forced his hand into the pocket of the aforesaid granger's pantaloons, from which he took his pocketbook containing twenty dollars in money. He was now prepared for traveling. Continuing his journey for several miles, becoming very tired, he decided not to walk any longer as there was so much good horse-flesh in the vicinity. Near the hour of midnight, this weary tramp entered the farmyard of a wealthy old Indiana farmer, and going into the barn led out one of his fleetest steeds. Once more astride a good horse, Thomas felt like a free man. During the rest of the night he made good headway, and by the morning sun was up the rider and horse were many miles away from the place where first they met. Entering a small village, the horse was fed and nicely groomed. At the same time Thomas partook of a good breakfast, which he heartily enjoyed. The fates seemed to favor the man of crime. It is an old saying: "The devil looks after his own." A horse-buyer had arrived in the village a few days before. When the noon train came whistling up to the station, the convict having converted his horse into one hundred and twenty-five dollars, purchased a new suit of clothes, a silk hat, and a pair of kid gloves, and, representing himself to be a traveling salesman, getting aboard, soon reaches Chicago, where, soon after his arrival, he joined a band of crooks. He was never discovered by the Indiana prison officials. Fifteen years after his escape, he got a "pal" to wire the authorities of the Indiana penitentiary, and inquired of them what reward they would pay for the return of Thomas A. Currens, a convict who had effected his escape many years before. An answer came that if he would remain out of the State, he would never be molested.
同类推荐
热门推荐
目的性修炼:人生要做的第1件事
任何事物的发展都不是笔直的。一个目的性强的人能够看出其中的直中之曲和典中之直,并不失时机地把握事物迂回发展的规律,迂回应变,从而达成既定目的。如果你曾对生活中的种种纷扰不知所措,看不清未来的方向;或者做事不知从何下手,办事效率迟迟提不上去,不妨阅读本书,它会给你一个满意的答案。吸血狂妃:绝色妖孽戏天下
她,是吸血国实力最强悍的吸血鬼亲王,拥有令人惊艳的天赋和绝色的容貌,但却遭人嫉妒陷害,被自己最信任的亲妹妹推入绝情谷,再一睁眼,她已是冷府五小姐,曾经骂我的,我让他死不冥目,伤我的,我让他百倍偿之。如今,我要摆脱那些废物的称号,成为万众瞩目的神。某人曰:“五小姐凶狠残暴,为不详之人。”某女曰:“来人啊,把这人拖下去打四十大板,再泼上盐水,让他亲眼看着自己的亲人被凌迟处死,还有人要说吗,我最讨厌有人在背后乱嚼舌根了,再被我听到那么,这就是下场。”众人曰:“五小姐威武。”结婚不易:逗比总裁学霸妻
郁孤的手指熟练地去找她的指缝,鸥鹭也顺从地把手掌打开,贪婪地享受着被他握得发痛的感觉。“鸥鹭,回来吧。”他的声音是诚恳的。她咬着嘴唇,忍着不哭出来。她心里一凉,摇了摇头。他们之前还能回到从前吗?!