The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-04-29
Special to The Herald and News.

Special to The Herald and News.
Columbia, April 2S.-James Johnson,
called by some Portland Ned" who
has been serving a sentence in the
State penitentiary as yeggman, fol-
lowing a sentence in the Federal pris-
on for the same offense for which he
was serving the the State penitentiary,
and who was paroled by Governor
Blease on Friday, made a quick and
effective getaway from the governors
office on Saturday.
When the governor paroled John
son on Friday afternoon, he wired
United States Judge H. A. M. Smith,
United States District Attorney E. F.
Cochran and United States Marshal J..
Duncan Adams asking if there were
any further charges against the man,
and he ordered Johnson held in the
penitentiary until he could receive re-
plies from these telegrams. The tele-
grams in reply were to tho effect that
there were no further charges against
Johnson. In the meantime, however,
United States Commissioner r. Bev-
erly Sloan, of Columbia, placed war
rant sworn out by Postofice Inspec-
tor, Gregory in the hands of deputy
for service. The governor ordered
Johnson brought to his Office to look
into the matter and to determine upon
what to do.
While the governor and Johnson
were in the governors private Office, a
spartanburg petition for executive
clemency went before the governor,
and the governor was busy looking into
it. While he was thus engaged a
lady came into the governors outer
office and she asked 20 see the COVER
nor upon a matter of business. The
people upon the Spartanburg hearing
were asked to excuse the governor
a moment, and the lady was received
in the governors Office, where James
Johnson was still sitting. While the
lady and James Johnson were in the
office. the governors secretary, who
had some papers for the governor to
look over, asked the governor to step
into the outer Office moment, which
the governor did. When the governor
returned to his private office he motto
ed that Johnson was gone. He asked
the lady what had become of him.
The lady, who did not know who john
SON was, said that the man, when the
governor left, had walked up and down
the Office a few times, and had ther
gone through the door opening direct
upon the corridor.
The United States marshal, who had
a warrant to serve upon Johnson, was
sitting in the outer Office OF the gov
ernor's ofices-the Office occupied by
the governors secretary and assistant
secretary. Had he been in the corridor
watching both doors of the offices ne
would no doubt have prevented the es-
cape Of Johnson.
That is the whole story-except that
the warrant was at drst in the hands
of rural policeman of Richland coun-
ty. and the story of the warrant while
# was so lodged is told below.
The News and Courier Story
The remainder of the story is taken
from the News and Courier:
Newspaper Men Notified
The newspaper men, who hapuened
to be talking to the governors secre-
tarv at the time, were called in and
told of the occurrence, and then Mar
shall Sem was informed that Port
land Ned" had flown, not more than
five minutes after the disappearance.
81 didn't know l could serve the war
rant on that man in your inner office:
said Marshal Sem to the governor
why certainly you could, no one said
You could not" replied the governor.
The marshal thought Johnson would
come through the outer Office, but the
latter went out through the private
Office into the, lobby and vanished
while the marshal was waiting for him
outside.
Governor Denies Report.
Rural Policeman Ripp having been
quoted this afternoon as saying that
he was ordered out of the governors
ofice when he went there Saturday
morning as deputy from United Stat
es Commissioner Sloan to serve a Fed