The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-28
JOHNSTON IS HELD
BOND or ALLEGED rosToFFICE
 ROBBER FIXED AT s1,000.
Youpg Man Accused of Entering Gov- srnment once at Thorsby Tried to Escape From County
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John " Johnston, the young white man Of Thorsby. was yesterday held to await the action of the Federal grand jury by United States Commissioner John A. Fillmore under a $1.o00 bond on charge of having made felonious attempt to burgiarize the postofiice at the thriving settlement in Chiffon county last Friday night.
 The young man appeared in the court yesterday morning perfectly cool and calm. He made no attempt at defense. anxious to get back to prison. I The government made a good case against Johnston. Jonathan Bice, the postmaster of Thorsby, was the first to testify. He told how several weeks ago he had been informed by Joe Gabbard that an attempt would be made to bur giarixe the postofice. He asked Cab bard who the person was, but was deni- ed the information. Later he was in- formed that Johnston was the man. Friday he was told by Gabbard that tho attempt would be made that night. He consulted the town marshal, John L. Robinson. and Friday night with Rob- inson, Charles Dudley. Doyle Dudley and Leonard Martin, the postmaster se- creted himself in the postofiice. The PA@s~S W&o adA n duu tLc AHcl W WditCo VII til after II o'clock before any signs of the burglary were apparent. They first heard the window sash being raised and then heard footsteps approaching the locality of the safe. When the person halted. the witness called for light and at the same time commanded the intruder to hold up his hands.
 Johnston was disclosed. On his per- son was found. pair of saws and in his hand he held a crude lantern made of tomato can. On his person he had a piece of paper on which were figures supposed to be the combination to the safe.
 When asked what he was doing in the postoface the postmaster said he exclaimed, My God. wouldn't yov make try if you thought that you could get $4.000 as easy as picking 1t up." Johnston wore no shoes.
 The testimony was corroborated by Joe Gabbard and John L. Robinson.
 The decision of the commissioner was announced and Johnston was taken back to jail.
 Tried to Escape From Jail.
 It was disclosed yesterday that John- ston and other white prisoners occupy ing the front rooms on the second floor of the Jail made an attempt at a jail delivery Sunday with no other tools than the handles of their eating spoons and few nails.
 The men were allowed the privileges of the corridor in order that they might get some exercise. Jailor P. M. McLemore Sunday afternoon discovered that some of the paneling of the corri- dor had been broken off. He took dow a the broken panels and found that a number of bricks had been removed. The brick work of the Jail is done with mortar and the rude instruments used were sufficient.
 The men were transferred from the corridor to the steel cage, where th' 1 strongest saws will be required to cut out into the corridor. All of the men deny any attempt at delivery. This Is the first attempt at jail de- livery since Walters Mccormack. a young white burglar, attempted to saw out the day after his conviction in the City Court about six monkhs ago. Pre- vious to that time J. E. Russell and Al bert Driscoll. the famous cracksmen made a similar attempt.
 PauIk Held for Perjury. W. T. Paulk. of Covington County was arraigned before United Statei Commissioner John A. Efmore yester- day charged with giving false testimo- ny in a case involving the possession of homestead lands. It is alleged that on May 19. 1904 Paul made affidavit that Simon Fl. Car roll of Covington County, perjurs s6