The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-06-26
SAFE CRACKERS
Gets Ten Years land One Day
in The
STATE PENITENTI TIARY.

STATE PENI | EN- IIARY.
Convicted of Blowing Open the Safe
of J. T. Shuler at Montmorenci.
Short Sketch OF Other Noted
Safe Blowers Convicted Several
Years Ago.
A special to the State from Aiken
says: William Mckinley, alias DAY
tos Scotty," and Edward Duggan,
alias Los Angeles Star" two of
the notorious gang of safe blowers
which operated in South Carolina
several years ago, were convicted
in Aiken Friday in the court of gen
eral sessions and sentenced to serve
ten years and one day each in the
State Dententiary. This was per-
haps, the most interesting case tried
in Aiken in years and large crowds
were attracted. They were charged
with having entered the store of Mr..
j. T. Shuler, at Montmorenci, Aiken
county on Dec. 16, 1902, and steal
ing therefrom the personal funds OF
Mr.. Shuler after having blown open
his safe.
The case was taken up at $3.50
o'clock on Friday morning and was
given to the jury at 5 o'clock in the
| tof
dict of guilty in ten minutes,
Mckinley an6 Duggan had no at
torney and id not ask for one.
They seemed to realize that a con-
yiction was sure to follow and their
manner was rather that of insolent
Indifference,
The State put 20 witnesses on the
stand, including the following from
Columbia: W. C. Dowie and W. ]
Garner, former policeman; Sergeant
W. w Quarters and w. T. Morse,
at present members of the Columbia
police department, and Mr.. ]. H. E1e-
zer, prominent merchant of the
capital city.
The principal witness for the State
was Postofice Inspector II. 1. Gre
CORY, who was on the stand for one
hour and a half, detailing the GRIM
nal history of the defendants and ex-
planning their plan Of operation IN
pursuing their profession as safe
blowers. His testimony was inter-
esting and was Of tself sufficient to
establish the guilt Of the two veg
men" Mr. Gregory has mad
charge of all the cases aalnst the
gang of safe crackers which opera
ted so successfully in South Carolina
and has been detailed by the gov
ernment to handle similar cases IN
other States. His stra1g 1ghttor"aro
unostentatious manner on the VII
ness stand and his polite, quiet de-
meanor on the outside make him ad-
mired by all and it is evident that
when he enters case against one
of these professional crooks ne
is able to deliver the goods.
The defendants introduced no wit
nesses and did not attempt to plead
their case.
The chain of evidence against
Them was very convincing and there
can be no doubt about their being
the parties who cracked MT. Snu-
Ilers's safe. Judge Klugh's cnarge
to the jury was brief but clear strong
and able. AS soon as the Verolcl
was rendered the defendants were
asked if they had anything to say
whv sentence should not be passed
nnon them. They asked the mercy
of the court and Judge Klugn gave
them 10 years and one day eacn
at hard labor in the South Carolina
nenitentiary. They will be carried
to Columbia Monday morning.
The Yeggman's Record
Mckinley and Duggan were Joint
sions at Aiken on Feb. for tne
sionsat Aiken on Feb. for the
; breaking into the store of J. T. Shu
Ter. The postoffice at Monmorenc
was then located in Mr.. Shuler'
store. he being the postmaster a:
we'll as the railroad and express
agent. For the robbery OF th'
Montmorenci postoflce, at the sam
time as the store, Duggan ana Mc
: Kinley were sentenced on April 10
1903, in the United States clrcul
: court at Charleston, to serve sen
: tences of FIVE years Imprisonment
;. in the United States penitentlary
3 Atlanta, Ca, and to pay ines 0
$500. 49,
The leader Of the gang Of thre
in the robbery of the store, postol
fee and blacksmith shop OF bonner
& Keel at Montmorenci on tn
r night of Dec. I6, 1902, W1lllaI
MORAY. alias Kentucky Billy,
now in the Massachusetts, State prl:
=, on, Charleston, Mass, serving sel
> tence of 19 years for manslaugnte
/ which he committed at bostoi
h Mass, in May, 1904.
s. This gang of three were the PIX
neen members of the Nolan gan
- at Columbia and associated On u
q closest terms Of intimacy win TT
'r four members who followed snei
into South Carolina, occupying II
le same houses, frequenting the san
q resorts, etc. But in actual sa1ep!o'
er ing the general gang usually fl!Ioe
n into two squads of three ana io'
r safe blowings and burglarles con
II ritfed by Billy Duggan and Mchl
~ lev in 1901 and 1902 were pos
e offices in the following Scuth Cal a,,
m Ina towns: Central, MaEesVlii
Rlacksburg, Walterboro, Ro"esFlli
u u Montmorenci and Batesburg:
$; $; Brought to Aiken From Atlanta:
ID Dneean was relased from the re-
le e eraI prison at Atlanta Jan. p, l9o
er and was brought to Aiken and looge
er in the county jail. Mckinley NJ
~. ~ serve 30 DAYS more at Allan
s. than III Duggan on account of hayl1
or sssanlted sss one of the wardens at t
tn federal prison. He was relased tro
ed tbe % %nenitentiary on Wednesday, re
&C. so M after United States Deputy Ma
u shall Scott Of Atlanta hao caEit y
him before o. c. Fuller, clerk ol !.