The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-09-05
A MECCA FOR CRIMINALS
MEN ''WANTED" IN GEORGl \
FLEE TO NORTH AUGUSTA,
Gov. Blease's Declared Policy Makes
South Carolina Town Safe Haven
For Georgia Fugitives.


For Georgia Fugitives.
AUGUSTA, Ga.-Within the nsr-
row confines of North Augusta, the
small South Carolina suburb of this
city, are harbored numerous crimi-
nails wanted by police authorities of
Augusta and by Richmond county
authorities, these officials state, but
the declared policy of South Caro-
linas chief executive to the effect
that Governor Slaton need not expect
executive exchange of courtesies in
matters pertaining to acquisitions
makes this little city a safe harbor
for criminals fleeing from Georgia.
Following the severe disappoint-
ment of Governor Blease in his eff
forts to secure possession of Julian
l. Zachary it was intimated by Gov.
ernor Blease that the chief executive
of Georgia need not expect to have
acquisitions for criminals in South
Carolina who are wanted in Georgia
honored.
Subsequent efforts have proved
that the policy of Governor Blease
is retaliatory in its essentials, and
acquisitions have been refused with
out consideration Of the merits of
the case, and requests for requisi-
lions for prisoners wanted in his
state and held in this state, in Au-
gusta, have been fatty refused.
Recently an Aiken firm of law
yers formally requested that he re-
QUESTION Governor Slaton for pris-
oner wanted at Aiken and held by
i Augusta authorities. The reply came
quickly that this Office Governor
BIease's) is not in communication
with the office of the Governor of
Georgia" At least, this is the story
told by the Aiken attorneys.
Less than two weeks ago the
whereabouts of Will Ruch, negro
wanted here for wife murder, was
learned. He was employed as cook
at Olaf, S. G. Request was made by
the Augusta authorities of the sher-
if of Barnwell county to arrest Ruch
and hold him pending issuance of
requisition papers. Governor Blease
ordered this sheriff, under severe
penalty, not to arrest this negro, and
the sheriff obeyed, and this alleged
murderer remains at liberty in South
Carolina.
In the Zachary matter, not salts
fed with the decision of Governor
Slaton that sufficient proof is not
held by the South Carolina officers to
convict Zachary of the charges pre-
ferred against him, Governor Blease
has offered a reward for his appre-
hension on South Carolina soil.
The requisition papers in the
Moye C. Bowling case, Bowling be-
ing wanted at Augusta on charges
growing out of the failure of the
Citizens Trust Co., a branch of the
defunct Interstate Trust Co., have
been turned down, and officials here
consider little likelihood exists that
he will be returned to Georgia until
the administration of one or both
states has passed into other hands.
The fact that the governor refused
to honor a reQuisition for any par
ticular person, taking into considera-
ton the full charge against that per-
son and the full facts of the case, is
of itself perhaps common enough.
But relations between the governors
of two states are not often broken
by it. When, however, one refusal
follows another and a chain of such
refuasls eliminate in a declared pol
icy such as has come from the office
of Governor Blease, it is made plain
that no acquisitions will be granted
when it is officially written and de-
cIared that this office is not in COM
munication with the office of the
Governor of Georgia."
Current report has it that a num-
Der of wanted" men are in hiding
in North Augusta, men who are
in Hamburg and North Augusta, men
who are wanted on this side of the
river for serious offenses.