Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-14

the satchel to blow to smithereens
half-d big safes.
Shaw and Hallan were photographed
without any strenuous objections and
Leonard was finally persuaded to sit
fer a photograph, but Williams and
Scanlon closed their eyes and distorted
their features to such an extent that
satisfactory photographs Of them could
not be had Later fairly good photo
graphs of both were obtained without
their knowledge.
On January 10th Inspector Halver-
stadt swore out warrant for the five
men charging them with the burg
larry of the postoffices at Seneca and
Pelzer S. C. The warrants were
sworn out before United States Com,
missioner Moore at Lancaster and he
held them under bond Of $4,000 each,
the preliminary trial being set for jan
uary Goth. The men, Of course, could
not furnish bond and were placed in
Jail to await preliminary examination.
On January 18th Inspector Gregory
swore out a warrant before Magistrate
Caskey Of Lancaster. charging the men
with having q safeblowing equipment
in their possession. The statute under
which this warrant was issued was en-
acted by the South Carolina legisla-
ture in 1907, through the Instrumental
ity Of Inspector Gregory, and provides
punishment in the discretion OF the
court and the maximum sentence could
be thirty years at hard labor in the
state penitentiary. The punishment in
this state for safe blowing is life i'm
prisonment, except where the jury
makes a recommendation to the mercy
of the court, in which case the judge
may fix punishment from ten years up.
The robbery Of the postoffice at Dunn,
n. c., on the night Of December 2Sth,
1907 was investigated by Postoffice In
spectors j. w. Bulla and H. B. Mosby
of the Washington division, and they
developed a strong case against the
five men arrested at Van Wyck and
about two weeks after the above men
toned warrants were issued they went
to Lancaster and swore out a warrant
before United States Commissioner
Moore charging Leonard, Williams,
Scanlon, Shaw and Hallap with the
Dunn robbery.
In order that the nine citizens of Van
Wyck who effected the capture Of these
men might secure the reward Of $500
each for the five men offered by the
government, Solicitor Henry waived the
right Of this state to prior jurisdiction.
In the event Of failure to convict any
OF these men at Raleigh, which is very
in view. Of the evidence In
the hands Of the postoffice inspectors,
they will be brought back to Lancaster
to stand trial on the charge Of having
in their possession safecracking equip
ment, on which charge Magistrate
Caskey committed them on January 80,
in default Of $4,000 bail each.
In the burglary Of the postoffice safe
at Dunn, the robbers secured about ST.
900 in money and stamps, about $1,40C
of the money taken being the personal
property of the postmaster, Mr.. Will
son. Although the door Of the safe was
blown clear of its fastenings not a
sound of the explosion was heard by
any Of the residents Of the town. In
spectors Bulla and Mosby succeeded in
tracing the movements of Leonard and
his four pals to Dunn prior to the rob-
berry, as we'll as their movements to
a certain extent for about a week
thereafter, and they will be able to ac-
count for the disposition Of the money
which was secured through this rob-
berry.
Past Records.
While the inspectors have not yet
succeeded in collecting the complete
criminal history of these five men, it
is morally certain that all have been
connected with safe cracking gangs
which have operated in the south and
east and before the trial takes place in
Raleigh a pretty complete record of
each man will doubtless be in the pos
session Of the governments agents.
CT Shaw, alias Frank Short, I"
alias Missouri Shorty" is former
member of the famous Nolan gang,
which operated extensively in the south
several years ago. Convicted Februa-
ry 23d, 1900, in state courts Of South
Carolina for blowing a safe in the sta
ton at Peak, S. c., on June 18th, 1898.
Wanted for burglarizing safes in fol-
lowing postoffices: brakes Branch,
Va: Waverly, Va. Rustburg, Va;
Murfreesboro, n. c.; Plymouth, N. c.
He was pal of Joe Jones, alias Mon
treal Frenchy," who was sent to the
South Carolina penitentiary.
Charlie Williams, although not per-
sonally known to Inspector Gregory,
was recognized by him through a
photograph taken about six years
ago. His right name Is Thomas Edwin
Wilson and he is a native OF South
Carolina, his parents residing about
six miles from Pelzer, S. c. His
'yegg" name is "Pelzer Eddie" and
he began his criminal career about
six years ago when he and William
Groff, alias John d. Rockefeller"
were arrested and tried for burglary
of the postoffice at Wexford. He was
acquitted on that trial but his asso-
ciate was convicted. Later he cooper
ated with professional safeblowers
and picked out some jobs for them,
including the postoffice at Kings
Mountain, y. c., which was robbed
in 1902 by Gus DeFord and Charles
Howard. AS Ed Wilson, alias "PerZer
Eddie" he stands indicted in the United
States circuit court, district Of South
Carolina, for the robbery of the post
office at Clemson college, this state,
on September 18th, 1902, together
with Charles Howard, alias Dutch, y
and James Johnson, alias Portland
Ned" He escaped from the chaingang
in Miller county, Georgia, last fall,
while serving a sentence Of one year.
The prior criminal records of Leon
ard, Hallan and Scanlon have not as
vet been fully .ascertained. Leonard
has -. NJ. D." tattooed on one Of his
arms and these are probably his cor
rect initials. Scanlon, who made such
a persistent fight against being photo
graphed and against exposing his face
to view, is thought to be wanted for
some serious crime. 1t is not at all
that he Is in reality none
other than John p. Dunn, member
of a gang which operated In the west
several years ago, who Is wanted at
Clarksyille, Ark, for the murder of
a sheriff in 1902. He not only answers