The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-02
THINKS HE is IN DANGER.
4 UNITED STATES WITNESS BE
LIEXEs THERE Is A CONSPIR-
ACY AGAINST HIM.

by His own Admission He Il an Ac-
complete and His Evidence j. Not
Sufficiently CorrobOrated - other
Witnesses 10 he Drought Up.
No cdunterfeiting case tried in the Uni
ted States court here has attracted more
attention in a long time than did that in
James J. Morgan ]. Frank Mason. whose
real names are respectively Plunkett and
. Glover. which came up before Judge speer
yesterday
The men viii be remembered as having
been arrested by Detective wetherhorn
several miles outside the city. on the Au-
gusta road last May. A negro, who gave
+ his name as George Johnson, came into
/ the city and reported them to the officers.
! who went out with the proper warrants
/ and made the arrests.
Johnson's statement on the stand was
/ queer and interesting. He met the men, he
I said. at Everett City, on the Florida Cen
trail and Peninsular railroad. He stated
that Morgan endeavored to pass a counter
/ felt dollar on a man named Dock Ponder
at that place.
Dock said he believed they were coun-
terfeiters," Johnson said, 'and 1 said,
just keep your mouth and if they are
counterfeiters 1 viii catch them if 1 can +"
Johnson then stated that he got in with
the men and came along with them from
Everett city toward Savannah. He gave
an account of the trip on foot, and men
toned several instances in which he stat
ed the men passed counterfeit dollars
along the way in payment for their meals,
sometimes receiving change and at other
| times leaving an entire spurious dollar.
one instance mentioned was where they
got supper from a negro woman named
| Campbell near POOler, and about nine
miles from the city. This, he said was at
II O'Clock at night or about that time.
For this, he said, Morgan gave her
counterfeit dollar and received back 80
cents in change. Johnson then went on to
tell about large number of counterfeit
dollars and molds which he said the men
had. They gave him twenty-one Of the
dollars, he said, and told him to come
into town and get them changed, where
upon he came in. reported the matter to
the officers, and went back and had them
arrested.
The witness was asked by defendants
attorney if he had not told a prisoner
named Sweat in jail that all he had
false. and that he intended to swear
falsely on this trial. This Witness John
son positively denied, but said they had
newspaper and they were reading it. 1
comes and sets down to hear what il
said 1t said something about whipping a
negro 'uumercifur out to the chain-gang.
] wanted to hear it. There amt a man
In this court room could tell all that was
said l told Sweat. who was reading the
paper IF / had swOre to lies 1 would
swear to them again. That is the words
II / had swore to lies / would swear to
them again" He sysa You - - -
you ought to have your damn throat cut"
Sweat told me he knowed all the persons
connected IN the express robbery near
Homervile and told me not to tell the
inspector, Bulla. about It, I could not
| begin to tell all that was said about It
and tell the truth"
The witness then went on to say that
through the efforts of friends of the de.
PENDANTS his past history had been raked
up, and he expected it to be used against
him. He said he expected to be arrested
as soon as he had finished testifying in
this case. The purport of his entire state
ment was to the effect that he had caught
up with the defendants at Everett City,
and finding out that they We're counter
feiters had determined to lay snare
for them and get a reward if there was
]
rather dramatic. He said:
q am satisfied I will be killed when
get out Of this place. There's a heap in it
that no one don't know here. I have been
in jail. l know what it is to be in one.
/ I have been a detective, but l will always
be sharp enough to work myself in a way
! not to get placed in as a witness again. 1
| will try to study that Closely
The witness had stated during his testi-
| mony that he had been handcuffed in be-
ing brought from the Jail. Judge Speer
/ told the marshal that he had no right to
/ have this man handcuffed, and to instruct
his deputies to that effect.
| Annie Campbell, the woman on whom
johnson said Morgan had passed coun-
| terfeit dollar near Pooler was then called.
! She stated the men had called at her
4 house for supper one night about II
/ O'Clock and that she gave them a supper
! for 80 cents.
"How did you know about the time?"
! she was asked.
Il had a clock" she said, but it warn't
/ runnn' an 1 guessed at it,"
She stated she was given a dollar and
/ gave the men so cents I'm change. She
/ gave the dollar to her husband who car
ried it to Pooler to a man named Blake.
"Would you know that dollar If you
saw it?" she was asked as counterfeit
! dollar was handed her.
] W ell 1 QOaLp bOScs ellN F'sAhds SAAS NDi-
! lar is jes es good es another TO me"
Stephen Campbell, her husband, gave
about the same testimony with regard to
/ the case He was questioned more closely
/ as regards the time OF the transaction.
what year was it that these men came
/ to your house2" he was asked. Campbell
4 thought moment and then said.
About Il O'Clock at night, sir"
mo, / mean was It this year or last
/ year2" said Mai Gary.
Last year" the witness replied.
Detective Forsyth, of the government
! secret service, was put on the stand to
prove that the dollar in question was
counterfeit. The case then went over
until night
At the night session of the court the
! two prisoners were put on the stand under
! oath. They told very straight stories
4 about their transactions, and seemed to
/ have been In rather hard luck and on
/ the tramp in this direction in search Of
/ work. so they stated. They gave detailed
accounts of their trip and, according to
! their statements. the dollars passed were
/ obtained from the negro George John
! son, who said he was a gambler, and had
/ plenty Of money just at that time. They