The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-05
SAID HE GAVE HIM THE KEY.
JOHNsON's TESTIMONY AGAINST
JUNK. DEALER LEONARD.

| caiu lie Gaue SIX IftDs 10 or OSAS-
thorpe. Opened the Little Gate in
the Big Gate" and Took out the
Coils of ROpe-He said Leonard
Told Him How to Get the Rope and
Furnished Him the Key 10 the Fort.
DOdden, However, Says Johnson
Tried TO Get Him 10 swear
Falsely.
A hearing was had before United States
Commissioner N. A. Connolly yesterday In
the John J. Leonard case, the latter be-
ing accused OF receiving stolen property,
| to-wit. some 1000 pounds Of rope stolen
from Fort Oglethorpe.
At the hearing yesterday the stories
Of the two main witnesses tailed in
some respects but only James Johnson
/ swore that Leonard sent him for the
rope and received it. The teamster tes-
/ tilted that he saw Leonard Weighing the
/ rope and that Leonard paid him for
/ hauling It, AS his testimony as to the
/ time was somewhat lacking IL could not be
determined whether this rope that he
carried to the junk shop was the same that
johnson brought up from the fort or not.
Maj w. T. Gary. United States district
attorney. represented the government
and p J. O'Connor, Esq. appeared for
Mr.. Leonard.
Capt. Thomas H. Laird, Jr., Of the An
gler the first witness. simply testified as
to the governments ownership of the rope.
James Johnson. the main witness Of the
government against Mr.. Leonard, made
strong statement and in his cross examin-
alton did not vary much in the main de-
tails. He was warned before commencing
his story by Maj. Gary that no one had
any authority to offer him any immunity
for telling his story and that he was at
liberty to refuse to answer any question
that might tend to incriminate him.
johnson went into minute details and
made a long and exhaustive statement,
the questions Of Maj. Gary, supplying all
the missing links in his story. He said
that one morning in May while on the
river front Mr.. Leonard came to him and
asked if he wanted to make dollar. He
answered yes and Leonard told him to
get a boat and go down to Fort Ogle-
thorpe and get some STUFF for him. He
got a boat and going down to Fort Ogle-
thorpe found a lot Of rope on the plat
form. There was some Is or 10 pieces or
coils He put 1t in the boat and brought
it to Savannah landing at the Oyster dock.
He then hired a teamster, fellow named
Alec" with glasses on, he said, to carry
the rope up TO Leonard's. The latter re-
ceived the rope and paid him Si.lO.
Leonard then. so the witness stated,
promised him a key of the fort gate Tor
ha fwiN hired
larger boat Of Tom Dodden and made
another trip, Dodden going with him.
Just as they got in the boat witness re-
membered about the promise of a key and
running up TO the store, he got II hom
Leonard according TO his testimony. The
key, he said, unlocked the small gate in
the sally-port gate and he brought the
rope out that way. Leonard had told him,
so he stated, to say to any person asking
| him, that Mr.. Hall was doing this haul
ing and that the rope was for him. This he
| told Dodden. The witness then told of the
other trips. six in ALL all of the same gen.
eral kind, going with Dodden three times.
Leonard, he stated. received the rope each
time and paid him Sl.10 per load.
After the third trip witness became
crazy and jumped overheard. Leonard, he
states, then had him put in jail till he
could recover. After his recovery he went
to see Leonard and the latter gave him
4
careful he said, and not to go too many
times each week. as detectives were
around his place. The witness further
! testified that Dick Brown, Josephine
| Young and John Malene were present
| when the loads were delivered at Leo
nard's. He stated. however. that he
and Leonard went into the Office and that
they might not have heard what they
| talked about.
Mr.. O'Connor's close cross-examination
! revealed nothing new.
| Tom Dodden was then sworn. Tom Is
| quite deaf and Commissioner Connolly had
| to shout pretty loud before Dodden could
understand the oath He was warned by
Mai. Gary about telling anything that
might incriminate himself. He then
| started off to tell about johnson, assert
| ing that the latter had asked him on Sun
| day, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
! to testify that Leonard had hired them
| both. Dodden asserted with much fervor
that he couldn't do that, as he wanted
| to tell the truth. He and Johnson fell out
! at the Jail, so he told a little later on,
| and came near lighting.
! He corroborated Johnson's story about
using the boat. Johnson lived with him.
! He borrowed the boat the first time and
| then hired the larger boat, paying Dodden
! 81 for each trip afterward. Six trips were
made altogether, Dodden getting $3.50 out
| of it, Dodden told how the rope was
taken from the fort through the. small
gate. He did not go with Johnson all the
| time, neither did he ever see to whom the
! rope was delivered. When they landed
! Johnson would get team and the rope
would be hauled off. Dodden did not have
| curiosity enough to even ask the teamster
where it went. One time Johnson told
/ him that Mr.. Hall, who was a United
| States engineer and inspector, was the
| man for whom he was getting the rope,
and so he thought 1t was all right. John
/ son told him, too, that the key was given
! him by this Mr.. Hall.
Alexander Hamilton, one of the team
| sters, told of two loads OF rope that he
| hauled for Jim Johnson's brother. John
| son himself never came, according to this
! witness. 1t was all done through the
brother" He took the rope or junk from
| the lowest Savannah, Florida and Western
wharf. so he testified, to Mr.. Leonard's
shop. Jim's brother accompanied him.
! Mr.. Leonard paid him 30 cents for haul
! ing it when Jim's brother told him to.
! He did not see Mr.. Leonard pay Jim's
| brother any money for the rope.
Henry Berg, white, testified that he
saw a boat-load of rope land near the
| oyster dock some time in May, or in the