The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-07-18
NICHOLS. FRIEND OF BLEASE,
TALKS TOO FREELY
Nichols, Sims and Blease to Get S., 1000 Each tor
Pardon of DeFord, Notorious Yeggman.
Dictagraph Gives Nichols Away.

thousand dollars for Cole l.. Blease,
the governor of South Carolina; s5,-
600 for Sam J. Nichols, attorney of
spartaanburg and friend of Governor
Blease; $4,000 for G. P. Sims, attor-
ney of Spartanburg-that these
amounts were to be paid to the per-
sons named was sworn to by E. S.
Reed, chief lieutenant of William j..
Burns, detective, and substantiated
by thousands of words of dictagraph'
for the pardon of Gus DeFord, one OF
the most notorious prisoners in the
South Carolina penitentiary, who was
convicted in Spartanburg county in
1902 on the charge of blowing the
safe of the Enoree Manufacturing Co.,
when over $4,000 was secured, and
sentenced to serve term OF ten
years. Detective Reed was on the
stand before the legislative commit
tee for several hours this afternoon
and he, under oath, gave the above
testimony. The final act of the al
legged gigantic pardon deal was to
have been reached to-day with the
80. K" telegram from Sam J. Mich
OILS to the effect that the pardon had
been granted. The telegram was not
received.
Gets Admission to the ''Pen."
Several years ago on the charge
of blowing the safe of the Enoree
Mfg. Co. over $4,000 was secured. by
the work and the Spartanburg county
court, after long and tedious trial,
sent DeFord to the State penitentlary
for ten years. Porter said that Sam
J. Nichols gave him letter of intro
duction to Capt. Sondley of the State
penitentiary. Fielder said that this
letter would be later introduced in
evidence. Porter said that he went
to the penitentiary and presented the
letter of introduction to Capt. sond-
ley and was well received. 81 asked
to see several prisoners, said Porter,
"and was given admission to the pris-
on. I called for DeFord. I talked
/. with him and told him that I was
interested in his case. gave him to
: understand that was to act as his
attorney
Goes to Spartanburg.
Porter said that after the confer
ence at the penitentiary with DeFord
he went to Spartanburg and met Sam
J. Nichols. He said that he gave
Nichols to understand that he was
looking for certain convict and that
he was unable to locate him. He said
that he told Nichols that it was very
necessary to find this convict, as the
settlement of big estate pended on
his freedom. The convict was one OF
the benefciaries and his restoration
of citizenship was necessary. Porter
told Nichols of the man DeFord and
said that he was satisfied he was the
man. Porter said that Nichols ques-
toned him as to the amount involved
and that he told him that it was very
necessary to secure the pardon for
DeFord.
Would Not Be Hard.
Porter said that Nichols told him
that it, would not be difficult to get
DeFord out of the penitentiary. Por-
er told of depositing letter OF credit
for $4,000 with the Bank of Com
merce.
Drafts in Evidence.
T. B. Fielder placed in evidence his
draft for $4,000, drawn on the
Fourth National bank, Atlanta, to be
deposited in the Bank of Commerce,
of spartanburg, for financing the deal
whereby evidence was to be secured
that Governor Blease had been guilty
of selling pardons. "E. S. Reed, one
of the best detectives in the United
States and head of the Burns forces,
WAS SSlSCISu W Solty ooS WV "o>>~
under the name of Henry N. Porter,
attorney, of Chicago, ILL.," Direct
testimony was given that Sam J.
Nichols had been given check for
$500 as a retainer's fee to secure the
pardon of DeFord and that the check
was on deposit in the Bank of Com
merce in Spartanburg.
Checks Given.
Direct testimony was given by
Reed and Fielder that an additional
check for $500 had been placed at
the disposal of Nichols for work in
buying a pardon for DeFord. Direct
testimony was given that SIS, 900 was
deposited in a Chicago bank to be
paid to Sam j. Nichols upon the
word that DeFord had been released
from the State penitentiary.
Over $4,000 Words Testimony.
The checks, Fielder said, will be
n1aced in evidence before the COM