The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-05-29
VlGRANTS SENT 70 GANG.
LADsON CANTEY, COLCRED, GETS
10 MONTHS ON GANG FOR VA
RIOCS OFFENCES.
ro"ce Wake Raid ON Thieves ami
eapsure One and Other Escapes
Many Pairs Of Trousers stolen from
'ash Dry Goods Company Store.
Some of Which Are Recovered.

The police got busy Thursday and
rounded up big bunch of colored
vagrants. besides raiding thieves and
setting one Of the worst which they
have captured in long time. One of
the thieves. however. made good his
escape and Is now probably resting
quietly west of the wateree river
waiting until the memory OF the law
Is dulled by time before he again
makes his appearance In town.
mo. Sir. I don't vagrant and MIR.
Mckagen ain never seen me do moth
ing neither" said Ladson Cantey when
he was arraigned before the recorder
on the charge of vagrancy along with
other charges too numerous TO men,
ton. This did not save him. however,
for the recorder found him guilty Of
the charge. Ladson. when charged
with stealing articles from the Cash
Dry Goods Company store, readily ad-
mitted that ne had stolen fifteen pairs
OF trousers from the store at various
times. but he protested against being
charged with stealing any overalls. He
had never taken any Of them and
didn't have any muse" for them.
There were fifteen charges for steal
Ing trousers. two for carrying conceal
ed weapons. one for vagrancy and one
for gambling made out against Lad
son Cantey on all Of which he was
convicted and given a sentence of $50
or 80 days on each charge. AS IA re-
suit Ladson will be on the chain gang
for the next $40 days. the total of his
days amounting to those figures.
But Ladson was not the only youth
ful offender the police had rounded
up. William Smith and Lawrence
James were both tried for receiving
stolen goods. both having admitted
getting goods from Cantey. and In one
case Smith paid twenty-five cents for
two pair OF trousers. and vagrancy.
They were found guilty and will spend
sixty days on the gang with their
young friend.
Fred Ciarkson and Ollie Ciarkson
were each charged with being vag-
rants. Fred protested that he was
not a vagrant and Ollie admitted that
no was one. Both were sent to the
gang for the next thirty days.
One of the thieves connected In the
stealing from the Cash Dry Goods
store managed to get away from the
officers and escape.
Vivian Singleton. Thomas Single
ton. Lawrence Simons. John Gary.
Fred James and Eugene Johnson
were all arrested and tried on the
charge Of receiving some of the goods
stolen Nv Cantey and his accomplice.
Each OF them was given sentence
OF $50 or 80 days. and II IL probable
that the majority Of them will go to
the gang To serve their time.
The case was one very cleveriy
worked up by Policeman w. j. Nc
Kagen who made the first of the ar
rests and the great majority of those
coming later for receiving stolen
goods. Mr.. McKagen was called in
by Mr.. Beck and notified that two
pair OF trousers were missing and
that they had probably been stolen
W cantey. Mr.. McKagen from this
information traced up Capt~s and
finally caught him under the Law
renee house where he was still In
possession OF the goods. He then
searched and found the hiding place
for other goods. recovering four
moro pair OF trousers and some forty
tickets which had been removed
from goods which had been stolen. La
ter he put Cantey through hard ex-
animation and obtained clues which
led him to arrest a number of other
persons implicated In the thetts
and helped him To- find the worse thief.
In all a total OF $3.50. or as many days
were secured from his and the other
policemen following up the clues
which he first obtained.
Naman Pearson. one Of the negroes
against whom a warrant was sworn
out some time ago for selling whlskey.
was brought back to the city last
night and lodged In jail. lie was re-
leased this morning on bail.