Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-04-30
LHALLA, SOUTH CAROLINA,
MAN OF MANY ALIASES PARoLEI
Portland Ned" ycSg of National
Repute. Takes French Leave.
Columbia Record, 26th. }

Governors private Office this after
noon, within ten yards of where a
United States deputy marshal sat
with warrant for his arrest for rob-
bing a post office in Plymouth, N. c., 4
June 18, 1898, James Johnson, alias
Portland Ned" alias Edward Muir
ply, alias Edward Howard, made
quick fade-away and bade these
parts fond farewell at 1890 to-
day.
Yesterday he was granted parole
by Governor Blease during good be-
havior. To-day the Chief Executive
had him in his private office, in which
there was also a lady The Gover-g
nor desired to go into his outer Of
fee, and excused himself to the ladyf
and told Portland Ned" to await his9
return. When he got back. the Chief
Executive looked around for the man
OF many aliases, and he was gone.S
The lady, who did not know the
identity of the man, said as soon as
Governor Blease had got out the
man began pacing up and down the
office. Soon he went to the door
connecting the private Office and cor
ridor, turned the latch, and, with the
utmost composure, gracefully reliev-
ed the office Of his presence.
officer Had Warrant.
United States Deputy Marshal G..
d. Sem was waiting in the outer Of
flee for Portland Ned" with war
rant charging him with robbi lg the
post office at Plymouth, N. c., but
the Federal officer did not have the
chance to fasten him. he was too
slick. Mr.. Sem was much perturbed
when informed that the man he.
wanted had an aversion for the lodg-l
ing and the food of the United States
government. Mr.. Sem informed the
Governor that he did not think he
had the right to come into the Chief
Executives Office and get Portland
Ned" Governor Blease quickly dis
PEELED any doubt as to the marshal'sS
authority; he told him that an officer
with Federal warrant had right
to go anywhere; that hexwould have
welcomed him to come in and get.
Portland Ned" ..
As Portland Ned" had been, pa
rolled by he Governor, he hal per-
feet legal right to walk out of the
office, as he was not under arrest at
that time.
AS soon as United States Commits
sioner r. B. Sloan learned that
Portland Ned" or Johnson, had es-
capped the vigilence CT his officer, he
immediately took steps to appre-
hend the man. He deputized an adj
ditional officer and Iotified the po-
lice department of the mans escape.
Up to a late hour t.iis afternoon all
efforts to locate the man have proven
futile.
Early this morning Robert S. Hipp,
rural policeman for Richland coun-
ty, was deputized by United States
Commissioner Sloan to serve war
rant on James Johnson, alias Port
land Ned" for the robbery Of post
office. Hipp took the warrant to the
Governors office, and gained an audi
ence with Governor Blease.
Hipp said that he was asked blythe
Governor what kind Of paper he had
to serve, and he replied that he was
deputiZed to serve a United States
warrant. And, according to the ac-
count of the proceedings, the Cover
nor asked him IL he was not a rural
policeman, and when he replied in
the affirmative, Governor Blease
said: IF you do not know how to
attend to your business you will lose
your job"
Mr.. Hipp says that he was then
ordered from the Governors office.
He left, he said, and then turned the
warrant over to Mr.. Sem for service.
On account of the lateness of the
hour this afternoon, Governor Blease
could not be located to give out his
version of the afsIir in regard to the
statement of Rural Policeman Hipp,
but his secretary told a representa-
tive of The Record of the occurrence.
He said that Hipp was courteously
treated by the Governor, but the
Chief Executive gave him piece of
advice.
Governor Blease told Mr.. Hipp,"
said Secretary Aull, that he had bet
ter attend to his duties as a rural
policeman of Richland county. for
which he was paid, and not to at
tempt to attend to the duties OF the
United States government tor the
Governors office. The Governor did
not forbid him executing the Fede-
raj warrant, nor did he order him
out OF the office. He went out on
his own volition."
Paroied Yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon the Governor
granted a parole, during good behav-
lor, TO James Johnson, alias Edward
Murphy, alias Edward Howard, alias
Edward Smith, alias George Howard,
ALA Portland Ned" Detective
Reed, of the w. j., Burns agency, was
the man who came into South Caro-
lima, posing as II. N. Porter, a Chi
cago lawyer, last summer and al
legged that he tried to buy pardon
for the noted yeggman. and failed to-
accomplish his purpose.
Has National Reputation.
Portland Ned" has a national rep
utation as a crook of superiative dar-
ing. Detective Reed said that he