The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-09
THREE DETECTIVES CLAIMED HIM.
An Ex-COnvict a Bcne of Contention
Among Officers.

Among Officers.
Quite a lively discussion took place in
Judge Norwoods rooms yesterday after
noon, .he parties being County Detective
Wetherhorn on one side, and City Detec-
tiyes Scully and Godbold on the other.
Several weeks ago a negro who was
charged with committing depredations in
Smithville, entering vacant houses and
breaking up the woodwork, was arrested
by the city detectives, as a suspicious char
acter. He was turned over to the city
court on the charge of vagrancy and the
charge appearing to be well sustained
Judge Norwood sentenced the man to six
months on the chaingang. On the day of
the trial an ex-convict pointed out Smith
to Detective Godbold as an escaped con-
Wet from the Georgia penitentiary The
eX-conviet said he knew the man because
he had worked alongside of him and that
Johnson had escaped before the eX-con-
victs time was out.
The detective concluded that there might
be a reward in this so they looked up
Johnson's record and found that he was
sentenced to the penitentiary for three
years for burglary by Judge Fallgant,
Dec. 20, 1894. They then wrote Capt. Tur-
ner the principal keeper of the penten-
tiary and learned that Henry Johnson had
escaped after serving two years and that
there was a reward of $50 for him. Having
identified Johnson 20 their satisfaction the
detectives called upon Solicitor General
Osborne and requested that Smith be turn
ed over to them as an escaped convict
from the penitentiary They were some
what surprised to be Informed by the So
licitor general that a similar request had
been made by Detective Wetherhorn, and
that he had promised to grant the latter's
request. This took the city detectives back
somewhat and they thought they were not
being treated right by their former assoc
eiate. They presented the matter to Judge
Norwood, who concluded that they had the
right of it ana instructed the solicitor gem
eral TO order Smith turned over to them.
Mr. Osborne demurred to this as he
thought Detective Wetherhorn had prior
claim.
Judge Norwood took the matter up with
the detectives yesterday afternoon. De-
tective Wetherhorn, il was found, had
learned that Smith was an escaped con-
Wet at about the same time the city de-
tectives became aware of the fact. Hav-
ing several escapes on his list he looked the
number over and decided that Smith was
either Willie Jones or Ben Franklin, both
OF whom are wanted by the penitentiary
people. Escaped convicts for whom re-
wards are offered are the pickups Of the
detective business and they do not come
often enough to be sighted. albeit the Sa-
vannah detectives manage to pick up a
good many in the course OF a year. De-
tective Wethorhorn was not going to sleep
on his rights In the matter and the conse-
quence was a lively argument over the
matter.
The city detectives established the iden-
tihcation of Smith however. as Henry
Johnson to the satisfaction Of Judge Nor
wood and he ordered that the man be
turned over TO them. Johnson was iden-
tilted by one Of the guards at the convict
camp. who had also been guard at the
penitentiary camp, where Johnson worked,
and also by Deputy Sheriff Hesser, who
was present at his trial two or three years
ago, as well as the negro eX-convict. He
made his escape from Capt. James camp
at Adrian. Capt James is now on his
way to Savannah to take johnson back.
The amount OF the reward is only $50, and
by the time expenses are paid there viii
only be about Sl2 each for the three city
detectives.