The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-12-24
IS SAFE CRACKER
AGAIN IN TOLLS ?
Spartanburg Police Have Man They
Think Is Safe Cracker Recently
ParOlCd bY BIcaSe.

Think is Safe Cracker Recently
ParOlcd by Blcase.
Spartanburg, Dec. 20.-"John Kin
ney," prisoner in the county Jail,
serving thirty days for vagrancy is
none other, according to the police,
than William Mckinley, a noted safe
robbcr, who was one Of the 1913 con
victs liberated by Gov. Blcasc last
month in honor Of Thanksgiving.
Moreover, the police say, they have
evidence that Mckinley attempted to
blow a safe within three weeks after
he was freed from the pcnitcntiary
and will bring him to trial for the al
legged crime as soon as he completes
his vagrancy sentence.
warrant has been sworn out
against Mckinley charging him with
the attempted safe robbery, and Mag
istrate Robert j. CAN'T will hold a
preliminary investigation Monday af-
ternoon, when it is said much addi-
tional evidence will be disclosed.
The man was found camping in
woods near Spartanburg Junction by
Robert E. Miller, a special agent Of
the Southern Railway. He had sack
OF coal which he admitted having TAX
Ell from the railways coal yard and
was arrested and convicted before
Magistrate CAN'T
On being taken to the county Jail
Kinney, or Mckinley, was hailed as
an old acquaintance by another pris-
oner I1lmort Wright, who said the
new arrival was in the penitcntiary
at the same time that he (WrighD
was serving life sentence there for
murder.
Wright like Mckinley, was paroled
by Gov. Blease, but after he was
liberated shot another man, and he,
too, is back in prison again.
Two days before Mckinley, alias
Kinney was arrested, an attempt
was made to blow open the safe in
the general store of Renard Frey, at
Fair Forest, S. c., about eight miles
from Spartanburg. A charge of nitro
glycerine was exploded but the safe
resisted the assault. The explosion
was heard by q negro in the neigh
borhood, but the robber was not seen.
The Button Clcw.
The next morning a button, with
a little tuft Of cloth attached, was
found under the window Of Frey's
store. 1t is believed to have been
torn from the robbers clothing as he
entered the building and was pre-
served as Of possible value as cvi-
dence
When Kinney was identified by
Wright as Mckinley, the safe robbcr,
officers examined McKinley's cloth
ing. They found button missing,
and also discovered, it is alleged, that
the button found in Frey's store was
idcntically the same as the remain
ing buttons on McKinley's clothes
and that the cloth was the same as
the little tuft attached to the button
referred to.
Mckinlcy's reputation as a profes
sional safe robber and the evidence of
the button, taken in connection with
the fact that he was arrested as va
grant within a couple Of miles Of
Frey's store, constitute the case
against him, as at present developed
Postoflice inspectors have been in
vestigating in the belief that McItin-
ley may have lad accDmplicrs and
that the gang may have been respon-
sible for other robberes in this sec
ton. Two men in the Spartanburg
county jail, charged with robbing the
safe in the Dostotfice at Saluda, N. c..
are not believed, however, to have had
any connection with Mckinley. They
claim to be followers Of the race track
who were beating" their way to
Charleston.
Mckinley, who at first was very vo-
1,,l, ~ To-, ~.