Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-06-27
SAFE CRACKERS
Gets Ten Years land One Day
in The
STATE PENITENTIARY.

Convicted of Blowing Open the Safe
of j. T. Shuler Mt 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 gem
eral sessions and sentenced to serve
ten years and one day each in the
State Dententiary. This was per-
maps, 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 9:3O
O'Clock on Friday morning and was
given to the jury at 8 o'clock In the
afternoon, the jury rendering a ver-
dict OF guilty in ten minutes,
Mckinley and Duggan had no at
torney ana id not ask for one.
They seemed to realize that con-
viction was sure to follow and their
manner was rather that of insolent
Indifference,
The State put 90 witnesses on the
stand, including the following from
Columbia: w. G.. Dowie and w. j
Garner, former policeman; Sergeant
w. w Quarters and w. T. Morse,
at present members of the Columbia
police department, and Mr.. j. II. Ele-
zer, prominent merchant of the
capital city.
The principal witness for the State
was Postoffice Inspector II. T. Gre
CORY, who was on the stand for one
hour and 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 "yeg-
men," Mr.. Gregory has had
charge of all the cases aainst 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 straightforward
unostentatious manner on the wit
ness stand and his polite, quiet de-
meanor on the outside make him ad-
mired by all and 1t is evident that
when he enters case against one
Nf
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" Mr.. Shu-
Iers's safe. Judge Kiugh's charge
to the jury was brief but clear strong
and able. AS soon as the verdict
was rendered the defendants were
asked If they had anything to say
why sentence should not be passed
upon them. They asked the mercy
of the court and Judge Klugh gave
them 10 years and one day each
at hard labor in the South Carolina
penitentiary. They will be carried
to Columbia Monday morning.
The Yeggman's Record.
Mckinley and Duggan were Joint
sions at Aiken on Feb. for the
sionsat Aiken on Feb. for the
breaking into the store of ]. T. Shu-
Ter. The postoffice at Monmorenci
was then located in Mr.. Shuler's
store, he being the postmaster as
well as the railroad and express
agent. For the robbery of the
Montmorenci postoffice. at the same
| time as the store, Duggan and Nc
Kinley were sentenced on April 16,
| 1908, in the United States circuit
court at Charleston, to serve SEN
tences of five years Imprisonment
in the United States penitentiary
Atlanta, Ga, and to pay fines OF
$500
| The leader of the gang of three
| I'm the robbery of the store, postof
fee and blacksmith shop of Bonnet
night of Dec. I6, 1902, william
Moray, alias Kentucky Billy" i:
now in the Massachusetts State pris
on, Charleston, Mass, serving a sen
tence of 10 years for manslaughtel
which he committed at Boston
Mass, in May, 1904.
This gang of three were the pio
neen members of the Nolan gani
at Columbia and associated on th'
closest terms of intimacy with th
four members who followed then
into South Carolina, occupying tn
same houses, frequenting the sam
resorts, etc. But in actual safeblow
ing the general gang usually divide
into two squads of three and fou
safe blowings and burglaries com
mitted by Billy Duggan and Mckin
ley in 1901 and 1902 were post
offices in the following South Caro-
lima towns: Central, Mayesvillt
Blacksburg, Walterboro, Rowesvillt
Montmorenci and Batesburg.
. Brought to Aiken From Atlanta.
,Duggan was relased from the fed
eral prison at Atlanta Jan. 21, 1907
and was brought to Aiken and lodge
in the county Jail. Mckinley ha
to serve 80 days more at Atlant
than Duggan on account OF havin
assauIted one of the WardenS at tn