Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-17

CudtSo VI MS uulyi eubeTtu "a HtIetOIVlt
reputable place Of business in that city,
and was b~rutslly assaulted aud nearly
killed by the inmates, who then robbed
him Of the packages in his possession.
After considerable trouble and ex.
pense, the perpetrators, four in number,
we're apprehended il. different parts Of
the Union, tried, convicted and SEN
tenced to t%wenty-one, twenty and fifteen
years respectively, in the penitentiary at
Nashville
Edward H. johnson, alias Parker,
alias Proctor, one Of the convicts above
re,erred 10, and the leader Of the gang,
escaped from the peuitentiary on the
29th OF Defender last. he is thirty. four
years old; was born in the interior of
New York State; has lived in nearly all
sections OF the Western country; when
quite a boy was imprisoned in Ottawa,
iii for horse stealing; was a bounty
jumper during the war; has been a
shower of counterfeit money, and wes
connected with the robbery Of tae
United States Express messenge in St.
Louis, Mo-, in 1864, for which be served
a term 10 the Missouri penitentiary, and
Of late years has been a pir e on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers; is a glib
talker aud we'll informed; dresses rather
rough, and passes as a laboring man,
johnson is a scheming, bold and
dangerous thief, and seeks acquaintance
with messengers and other employees Tor
the purpose of becoming familiar with
the operations Of Express companies
Nashville American, Is
JOHNSON ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF.
Deputy Warden Cummings arrived
here Sunday with Edward II Johnson,
the man with a Whole rat of aliases,
Express robber, river pire'e and escaped
convict. While on his way here Johnson
told Mr.. Cummings that he robbed the
~postofice Mt Mt Vernon, Kentucky, Of
800 three mt envelopes and sold them
to a man named Bliss at Evansville
through which place he had previously
posted. he did the letters up in apsck
age, sent them to Evansville by express
to the address Of HenryWilIs, subsequent
ly got them out Of the Office himself and
sold them. 1t was his doge, he said, all
the time be was out, to look as much like
o plain unassuming farmer as possible.
He went down the Ohio river with q
view 10 robbiDg the bank at Uniontown
Ky, but before he could accomplish any
thing he was arrested for a nasty ont
horse burglary with whiehhe had nothing
to do" Johnson also told Mr.. Cum.
mings that on leaving Nashville he vent
through to Hickman, Kentucky. via
Jacksonville, crossed the Mississippi and
went to Point Pleasant Mo-, twenty
miles back Of the river. 1t had been re
ported that he had some money out there
and on being asked whether be had OBJ,
tanned, he said with On air Of mystery
II accomplished what / went after"
Where did you 90 after leaving Nash.
ville2' asked Captain Thatcher.
Johnson-tIt was at II o'clock on the
morning Of December 20, 1875, hat ]
leaped from Clements wagon and struck
out over the Northwestern road for the
west. / was at the Fair Ground switch
when l heard the %peniteutiary bell rims
for IL o'clock. l reached Pegram'i
Station, eighteen miles out that evening
and stopped oyer night at Mr.. Walkups
The next day | walked to Dickson, aud
that night / stopped with q Mr.. Freeman
who is o Pennsylvania; | once lived il
Wayne county, Pennsylvania. The mex
day | got to Waverly, and after securing
a change Of clothing from the caboose
l went on down toward Jacksonville
arriving there at the haze Of the mora
ing, thanking the town and going dowr
the river until | came up TO a saw-mili
| told the owner | had no morey an,
asked him for enough plank to make {
float upon which | might go down thu
river. He was a strange sort Of a man
aud finding in the pockets of my Dor
roFed clothing some kid gloYes | gay
them in exchange tor the plsnl and OF
the float which | made | dropped dowI
the river about eighteen miles. Here
hired out as q maker Of ak helves a
sixty cents a day. My employer like,
my work 80 well that at the end Of tn.
week instead Of giving me 50 80 b
handed me a ~ bill, appointed me fore
man, and, as he had to be absent for sew
eral days, gave me 81 with which to pl,
some workmen who we're to call for thI
money. 1t happened, however, hat tn,
very next day some men having a gul
: came down the river in a skif, and ! wa
afraid they had come after me. lookeC
upon every newcomer it'll suspicion
and vas always in dread of arrest,
was AFRAID they had tracked me, de3pit
the care | had taken 10 dodge all town
and telegraph st %1tions, so | put GU
across the river as soon as it was cow,
cent, and, Aanking all towns in Yves
Tennessee, / reached the Mississippi
river and crossed il ct Fulton. vas il
Evansville just before the muuieipa
election, and had q talk with the cit,
marshal. Neither he nor anybody els
would have ever suspected me Of | in
a thief. l have a way about me that d,
csiyes almost any maa in that respec.
and it takes a nan of that sort to b,
|, come q good detective. | was for 6v
months in the employ Of the Pinkerton,
l was q twork in a paint shop in Chicag,
getting $l5 per week, when the Pinke
tons offered me 500 per week to take u
a trail, and | went aud e~tlerward regre
ted it,"
You were in the penitentiary Of Mi
2 souri, for robbing the Express Company,
suggested Captain Thatcher.
Johnson-'Yes for robbing the Unite
States Express Company"
Captain Thatcher-"0f $4,000"
Johnson-"0t $42, 020. | would hav
: been pardoned long before Governc
McClurg pardOned me, hit had not bee