The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-07-30
1T WORKED BOTH WAYS.
Forged His Way Into Prison and
Then Out Again.

Sent to the penitentiary for forgery
-pardoned through forgery. Such is
the story that comes from Tennessee.
1t is no uncommon occurrence for
men to be sent to the penitentary for
forgery. One can hardly glance over
an issue of any of the metropolitan
newspapers without finding such an
instance, for Il man 10 forge his way
into the penitentiary and forge it out
again is no common case. The coin
cidences of real life are often more
strange than those of fiction. Such is
the story from the Volunteer State.
1T is one in which the principal actor
could Sive Jim the Penman many val
liable tips.
About ten years ago young man,
by the name j. Clay johnson, was CON
victed Of forgery in West Tennessee
and sentenced to u term Of years in the
State penitentiary at Nashville. Be-
fore he had served out more than a
small portioL Of his time he was FREQ
man, free by pardon of the Governor,
and that pardon was secured by for
gerry.
Johnson had put himself in the peni-
tentiary by forgery, and by the same
deft use OF the pen had secured his
pardon. He lived in one of the small
towns of West Tennessee, was book
keeper by profession, and an able one.
He forged the name of some prominent
citizen to q draft on the Bank of Car
roll county, Tennessee, located at
Huntingdon. The forgery. wos dis
covered, Johnson was arres1Sd, tried
and convicted, and senterNs:d to the
penitentiary at Nashville for q term of
years. He escaped from tho jail
during the preliminary trial at Hun
tingdon, but was recaptured and finally
landed in the penitentiary. Nosooner
had he been given a suit of stripes
than ne began to dcviSca moan- to no
RIA oi IErm.
Now, l, so pdpprnuu jnttl II Nj. Bup-
list was u personal anu political lrIcnu
Of the Governor, and had presided
over the Democratic convention which
placed Mr.. Buchanan in nomination.
He was and is still one of the most
prominent Democrats in West Tennes-
see. His letter, therefore, carried
great weight in the eyes OF the Cover
nor. Accompanying the letter from
Mr.. Baptist was u lengthy petition,
signed by many of the most prominent
citizens OF the county in which John
son lived. This, of course, added
weight to the letter of Mr.. Baptist.
After carefully considering the mat
ter the Governor issued II pardon for
Johnson, and an hour later he walked
out OF tho pcnitcntiary Il free man. 1t
need not be added that he did not lin
gere long aronnd the capital. IN the
Nashville papers OF the day follow ing
the issue Of the pardon the case ol
johnson was mentioned. 1t was not long
befor the whole story came out, and
the Governor AS certainGd that he had
| pardoncd man on papers which were
forgeries. Not only the letter Of Mr..
Baptist, but the petition accompany.
ing it were all forgeries, and beer
written and signed in the penitentiary
by johnson.
Mr.. Baptist was telegraphed t,
come to Nashville. He was shown the
letter purporting to have been writer
| by himself aud asked if it was genuine
! He replied that if he had not know
| tina the had not written any such lettel
he could not deny the signature, SO goot
an imitation was it. He wrote hi
name, and it was identical with tina
of the letter. Experts were called in
and none OF them were able To tell tn,
genuine from the forged name.
The signatures to the petition wcr
also forged, and many Of them will
which johnson had become familia
during his long residence In the couu
ty were also hard to distinguish fron
the genuine. Johnson had done cleve
work, but he had not been quite s
successful as he had hoped for. III
was recaptured and sent back to tn
penitentiary.