Chapter XVII Rube Smith’s Plot to Escape From Prison — His Plans Discovered — The Tell-Tale Letters
Rube Smith, having been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, was, therefore, a convict in the state-prison when Brock, alias Jackson, was carried there on July 21st for safe keeping. Smith was at work in the prison shop when Brock was taken within the gates and given a seat in the prison-yard, about thirty feet from the shop window. An official of the Southern Express Company, with Detective Jackson, approached Rube and said:
“Well, Rube, we have Joe Jackson.”
Smith had not heard of the capture, and was evidently somewhat embarrassed at the announcement. Quickly rallying, however, he answered:
“I don’t know Joe Jackson—never saw him in my life.”
“Come with me to the window,” said the official.
Rube walked over to the window, and Joe being pointed out, Rube said:
“No, sir, I never saw that man before.”
On being told he was Rube Burrow’s partner, Smith repeated what he was often wont to say:
“I have not seen Rube Burrow since I was a small boy,” and again he denied his guilt.
“Ah,” said the official, “We have new evidence against you, Rube. We know that Mrs. Allen Burrow visited your father’s, and through her you sent a message to Rube Burrow that you wanted to see him; and we know that Ann Eliza brought the answer from Rube that he would meet you in Fellowship church-yard. We know just where you met before the robbery, and we know you parted at Demopolis, Ala., after the work was done.”
This information, which was literally true, was adroitly given Rube for a purpose, and convinced him that the coils were tightening, and that additional evidence had, indeed, been secured.
Rube Smith, though not as old in crime as his copartners, was not a whit less bold and desperate. While in jail at Meridian, pending his trial at Waynesboro, he had been discovered in a plot to kill the jailer and liberate himself and others. He had not been at Jackson thirty days before it was developed that he was scheming to make his escape, and for this offense he then wore a heavy ball and chain. Bold and unscrupulous, he was ready to take the life of any man who stood between him and liberty. He was, however, very secretive and self-possessed, and up to this time he had not, from the day of his arrest, spoken a word which could be used as evidence against him.
Jeff. Moody, a convict from Itawamba County, was on the eve of being liberated, having served his time. Smith, in his desperation, sought Moody as a medium through which to communicate with friends on the outside, through whose aid he hoped to make his escape. After cautiously canvassing the matter, Smith unfolded to Moody his plan of escape, commissioning him to take letters to his father, who was requested to buy pistols, which Moody was to bring to the prison; and as all the guards were withdrawn from the walls of the prison at night, under Moody’s guidance Jim Barker was to scale the walls and hide the pistols in a drawer of Smith’s work-bench, and at the tap of the six o’clock bell the succeeding night, after the guards had been called in, and while the prisoners were being conducted to their cells, Smith expected to furnish Brock, and a fellow convict who had been taken into the scheme, a pistol each. The inside guards were to be “held up” and disarmed, after the fashion of train robbers, and thereby they would effect their escape. As the letters show clearly the bold, bad character of the man, they are herewith given literally:
Aug. the 24, 1890.
Dear Father:
I seat my sef to rite you a few lines to let you no what I want you to do for me. James cash has told all he noes. they are a going to use him fore a wittness against me—he sot the trap to cetch Jackson, they have got him heare now. Agee told me all a bout Miss Burrow & Anlizer a coming up thaire. He told me rite where wee got together at & where I left them at, som body has told them that noes somthing. Jackson ses he hant told them nothing. he ses his name is not Jackson, it is Winslow. He told me that James cash set the trap for him he sed that no body node he was coming but Cash, so it look very darke for me theay have got all under holt now everything is a working aginst me heare but if you will doo what I want you to do I will leave them the Bag to hold themselves. I mean just what I say and nothing elce. Now I will begin to tell you what it is so look on the other side. I want you to see that I get what I want. I want you to send me three good Pistols. thay will cost a bout $15 a peace but you be shore to get them I want them to bee 45 caliber I want the Best ingraned Smith & wesson or colt’s, one or the other. I want you to get Uncle James Barker to cum with this man to bring them to me he noes just how to get them to me If I had them I can get a way without having to fire a shot I no Just what I am talking a bout now. thay are goin to send me up salt creak if they can. this is all the chance for me and I no it & if you dont do something now I am going to give the gards a faire shot at me—if theay kill me all rite & if they miss me all rite but if you will do what I want you to do theay wont bee eny Danger of geting hurt for i can make them turn me rite out without eny truble.
Reuben Smith.
August the 24 1890.
Dear father:
I seat myself to rite you a few lines to let you no that I am well at this time hoping those few lines may find you the same. I have no news to rite onley times is mity hard here. My Dear father as I state in my other note what I want you to do fore me I do ernestly pray that you will doo it. You know that I would not reckment a man to you that I thought would get you in truble. I have bin with Mr. Moody for some time he has proved to bee a friend too me so faire he has bin heare for three years he noes the triels and trubles of this place he is not in very good helth as you will see. I want you to give him as good treatment as you can for he deserves it, as you will have to pay all the expences a bout this matter when he has done thease matters I want you to see him home all rite so I will close hoping success to all. Yours truley, from Reuben Smith to Mr. James Smith, in ceare of a friend.
My Dear father:
I seat myself to rite you a few lines to let you know that I am well. I have lernt a good eal a bout what theay Aim to do, theay aim to use James cash as a witness a gainst me and sum of uncle allen Burrow’s folks. Now heare is a man that has bin heare serving his three years in the penitenchery and after his time was out theay warnt willing to turn him loos thin. he is a good man & I think he is all rite. I want you to treat this man rite & give him Plenty to eat and when he Brings me my things then I want you to fix him up all rite. I want you to get uncle Jim to cum with him heare you will have to beare his expences heare and back it will be easy done he can get me eny thing that I want and he wont bee in any danger hardly at all he noes where to put them for me & everything will Bee in a nut shell. Bring me a bout 20 dollars in money & put it with the pistols I want good pistols. I want sum like the one that I had if you can get them of that cind. I want the.45 caliber be shore and get me plenty of catriges He can tell you all a bout me I dont think he will tell you a ly to get the advantage of you I have watch him close evry since I have bin heare i think he will doo what he ses he will do. he has got a family at hom a looking for him & after he dos what he can for me I want you to see him hom all rite. he can tell you how everything is heare and how me & him has got it fixt up. it will haft to bee don after dark. Dont fail to Do this for I no it is all the chance for me if you let this chance pass you may never get a nother as good as this so I feel that my hold life is in your hands dont fail whatever.
Yours truley,
Reuben Smith.
Moody had disclosed to the prison officials the proposition of Smith to send these letters out by him, and had been instructed to humor the plot. Meantime the express officials had been notified of Moody’s disclosures, and of the date he would be released, and the letters were thus secured and made important links in the chain of evidence against Smith.