Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-16
TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1912.
TOLD BY DICTAGRAPH.
How Detectives Framed Up Pardon
Plot.
CAUGHT SPARTANBURG LAWYER IN TRAP.
Investigation Augusta Develops Some Highly Sensational Tes
timony Involving Men of More or Less Prominence.
News and Courier.

News and Courier.
Augusta, Ga, July 13.-Allegations
that Cole L. Blease, the Governor o1
South Carolina, was to get $b,OOo
Sam ]. Nichols, an attorney Of Spar
tanburg, $1,000, and lawyer Sims
of Spartanburg, $1,000, under an ar
rangement he made with Sam Nichols
to get a pardon for Gus Deford, noto-
rious yeggman and the worst criminal
in the South Carolina penitentiary'
were made by E. F. Reed, one of the
detectives of VIM. ]. Burns, in his tes-
timony. featured by dictagraph, on the
stand here this afternoon before the
South Carolina dispensary investiga-
ton committee.
Reed said that he represented to
Nichols that he was Chicago lawyer
named Henry n. Porter" and ne
wished to secure the pardon Of Deford
in order that he might settle an estate
in which the latter was the principal
beneficiary, but it was necessary to
have Deford pardoned before he could
receive the legacy.
It was within recent weeks, testified
Reed, that the scheme was hatched
and only two days ago Nichols left
Spartanburg to carry out his part OF
the agreement and get the pardon OF
the notorious convict.
AS soon as the pardon was granted
s@l 81 n =
ter" at Chicago, and the money would
be Immediately forthcoming. His 20.
X" telegram, which was to have been
sent to Chicago, was. of course, to be
forwarded here to Porter" whose
real name Is Reed and who. said he
photographed" Nichols in South Caro-
lima and in Washington while he was
making the trade with him.
II was the expectation that the par
don would be granted today, but the
20. K" telegram had not turned up
when the hearing was adjourned.
chrqed With Holding Up Charter.
The charge that the governor OF
South Carolina held up the charter OF
the Piedmont and Northern Railway
because of being paid to do so by the
Southern Railway, and only approved
the charter after Nichols brought MS
sational feature of Reeds testimony,
which consisted Of the records OF the
dictagraph Of the alleged conferences
held between Porter" and Nichols, In
Spartanburg and Washington, while
perfecting the scheme.
Several thousand Of the words or
the dictagraph of such alleged confer
ences, gathered by Reed during sever
al weeks investigation into the Soutn
Carolina situation, bearing on how TO
obtain pardons, were read by Col. Eel
der and kept the crowded court
house keyed up to the highest pitch
of excitement.
The alleged conferences between
Porter" and Sam Nichols, Reed testi-
fed, were faithfully recorded by the
dictagraph and read to the public mere
today at the investigation.
Prominent statements in Nichols $
alleged dictagraph talk with Porter
were that he could always get pardons
from Blease and that whatever he got
he always divided with the governor:
that "if they get anything now 1t Will
be the first time they have ever gotten
proof even indirectly on the governor.
The investigating committee went
into this line of the testimony, actlns
under the decision Of the State VS. Win
ters. SO South Carolina, which allows
investigations into matters both before
and after the time: in other words In
order to show the guilty mind.
More Testimony to Come.
Col. Fielder said that he would turn
over additional documents and other
material to the committee. He Is en-
deayoring to get a check alleged to
have been made payable to the gov
ernor and endorsed by Blease from
Iowa, alleged to be in connection with
a pardon which was granted, and turn
II over to the committee.
This array of facts and figures con-
cludes what ] desire to present at the
present" said Col. Fielder, just before
quitting the witness stand. He prom
ises more documents on Governor
Blease's public life, and 1t is stated
that only a small part Of the dicta-
graphed stuff gathered by Burns men
has come out.
The committee held a short execu-
tive session tonight In the Albion no.
tel and adjourned to meet at the call
of the chairman. A list of witnesses IN
South Carolina to testify before the
committee was furnished by Col.
Fielder.
Detective w. ]. Burns left here this
afternoon for other parts of the coun-
try, where he Is engaged on other SIT
uations, but he said on the stand yes
terday that his idea was that most OF
the dictagraphed testimony gathered
on the South Carolina situation should
be laid before the grand juries in this
state, in order that the guilty might
be brought to justice. He also stated
that he expected to follow the investi-
CATION in South Carolina to the end.
E. F. Reed. Burns man, left here to-
night for Atlanta, as did Col. Fielder
and his attorneys.
Mayor Grace, of Charleston, was
present today, as a witness, ana w.
+. Stevenson, ESQ, was here to look
after The interests Of the Murray COM
mission. All Of the investigating COM
mittee 1t tonight for their homes.
Tells Of Alleged Conference.
Probably the most startling testi-
mony by Mr.. Reed was as to his al
legged employment of Attorney Samuel
]. Nichols, of Spartanburg in an ef-
fort to get the governor to pardon the
notorious yeggman, Gus Deford, VINO
Is serving a ten-year sentence in the
state penitentiary for blowing open
the safe Of the Enoree Manufacturing
Company, of Spartanburg county, IN
1902, and stealing over $4,000, and de-
scribed as the worst criminal In the
South Carolina Penitentiary.
Reed, posing as a lawyer from Chi
cago named Henry \. Porter and
seeking the pardon of Deford in order
that he might come into a certain es-
tate which Porter was settling
stated that he held several conferences
in Spartanburg, Washington and Bal
timore, making terms with Nichols tC
get the governor to pardon Deford ano
the upshot was, he further testified
that they made an agreement whereof!
Porter" was to pay Nichols $l5,OOC
for the pardon of Deford, $4,000 to &c
to the governor.
The trap was all laid. said Porter,
and i'm accordance with his instruc'
tions, Nichols departed from Spartan
burg two days ago to seek Governor
Blease and get the pardon. Col. Eel
der kept in touch with Nichols
movements and said he was inform
ed that Nichols caught the governor
at Barnwell yesterday and was closet
ed with him for several hours and ther
returned to Spartanburg.
Porter" was TO receive wire a
Chicago, as soon as the pardon wa:
granted, that everything was 20. X.
and the Chicago office was to send /
here to Reed, testified Fielder. Thi:
had not been done up to late this ar
ternoon. but every other part OF th'
trap. Fielder said, went through with