The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-16


west of Columbia; that he posed as
Henry n. Porter" a Chicago attor-
ney, and that he had transactions with
Samuel Nichols, Spartanburg attor-
ney. Senator Clifton raised an objec-
ton to the introduction of this testi-
mony unless Mr.. Nichols was present
but the committee, by vote of 3 to 2
decided to proceed.
Col. Fielder announced that if Mr..
Nichols wished at any time to come
to Augusta and deny any of the state
ments in the dictagraph testimony he
would be very glad to meet the COM
mittee here with him and go over the
matter. Reed, or Porter" stated the
same thing and his testimony then
continued.
"Porter" stated that he had been in
structed to pick the worst criminal in
the penitenitary as his client, in order
to carry out the scheme of buying a
pardon from the governor, and, ac-
icordingly he sought the notorious
yeggman, Gus Deford, alias James
Johnson, alias Edward Howard, alias
G. NJ. Deford, who had severd a five
year sentence in the Federal prison
and is now serving ten-year SEN
tence in the South Carolina peniten-
tiary for dynamiting the safe of the
Enoree Manufacturing company, in
Spartanburg; that he carried letter
of introduction from Nichols to Capt.
Sondly, of the penitentiary, and had
an interview with Deford, represent
ing to him that he wished to get him
pardoned, and finally Deford consent
ed to let him act as his attorney.
He said that following the interview
with the convict he returned to Spar
tanburg and had talk with Nichols,
he having previously represented to
Nichols that he was settling an estate
in which Deford was the beneficiary,
but that for the convict to get the
benefit of the terms of the will he
would have to have his citizenship re-
stored. Reed said that Sam Nichols
told him that he thought there would
be no trouble in working it and that
he could get pardon for Deford from
the governor.
"Mr. Porter" told of going to Allan
ia and getting letter Of credit on the
Bank of Commerce, in Spartanburg,
from Col. Felder's bank in Atlanta,
and said that he knew Mr.. Hendricks,
the assistant cashier of the Bank Of
Commerce, in Spartanburg. He said
that he gave Nichols a check of $500
on the Bank of Commerce, as expen-
ses, and it was deposited to Nichols
credit there, being endorsed by Mich
OILS. He said that he had sent him an
other check for $500 and telegram
received today advised him that the
check had been paid.
Porter" testified that he had a con-
ference with Nichols in Room 4s Of
the Hotel Finch, in Spartanburg, on
June p, in which dictagraph was in
stalled and the adjoining room occu-
pied by stenographer named s. Tell
ebaum, of Atlanta, with the trans
nitter of the dictagraph to his ear and
the flve-hour conversation between
him and Nichols was duly recorded by
the dictagraph.
Conversation Dictagrapned.
He said that in Washington, D. O.,
on June 26, at the New Willard hotel,
in Room 541, he again had a confer
ence with Nichols, which was "dicta-
graphed," the adjoining room being
occupied by George w. Reik, the ste
nographer who, with the transmitter
of the dictagraph to his ear, duly re-
corded the whole conversation. He
said that at this meeting Nichols was
accompanied by the county recorder
of Spartanburg, Mr. Pasly, but that
the latter only remained in the room
five or ten minutes. -
Porter" said that Nichols, who was
en- route to the Baltimore convention.
wanted him to come on over there and
meet Senators Tillman and Smith,
from South Carolina, and he went,
meeting Senator Smith and the South
Carolina delegation.
Several kilograms, alleged to have
passed between Porter and Nichols
about this time, were offered in evi-