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to his father, who was requested to buy pistols, which Moody was to bring to the prison; and as all the guards were withdrawn from the walls of the prison at night, under Moody’s guidance Jim Barker was to scale the walls and hide the pistols in a drawer of Smith’s work-bench, and at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.
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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.
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