The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-04-30
WALKS OUT OF GOVERNORS OFFICE OFFICE
WHILE FEDERAL OFFICERS WAIT
PortIand Ned, of Dictagraph Fame, ParoIed by Gov.
Blease, Escapes from his Office while Federal Of
fcers Wait Outside with Another Warrant

Columbia, April 27.--James John
son walked out of the private office of
the governor yesterday, while deputy
with warrant for robbing postof-
flee in North Carolina waited in the
office to arrest him. Although Colum-
bia police and the county officials are
doing everything possible to capture
Portland Ned" as ne is known in
police circles, nothing had been heard
OF him at late hour last night.
Announcement was made in The
State yesterday morning that the gov
ernor had granted a parole to James
Johnson, known to the yegmen as
Portland Ned" who was convicted in
Spartanburg on the charge of house
breaking and larceny and sentenced
to 10 years in the State penitentiary.
1t was also announced that officers Of
the United States postoffice depart
ment expected to arrest Johnson i'm
mediately following his release from
the penitentiary on the charge of rob-
bling a postoffice at Plymouth, II. c.,
in June, 1898. The officials at the
penitentiary had been notified of the
intention of the postoffice inspectors
and the warrants had been left with
Sheriff Mccain of Richland county.
The inspectors did not arrest Johnson,
the reason is given below.
Portland Ned" gained notoriety du-
ripp 10 Nf hn
vestigation committee held in Augusta
last summer. 1t was there that De-
tective Reed gave his sensational "dic-
tagraph proof" of conversation with
Sam j. Nichols, Of Spartanburg. The
conversation referring to the getting of
pardon for the prisoner or john
son, was held IN Spartanburg. 1t was
stated that Nichols agreed to act as
associate counsel in the endeavor to
get pardon for Johnson. Detective
Reed stated that he represented him
self as Chicago lawyer, and wanted
to get Johnson freed because he was
heir to large estate in Chicago.
Order by Governor.
THE governor ordered James john
son brought to his office this morning,
dressed in citizens clothes and and un-
der the care of a guard" said Capt
ID. j. Griffith, superintendent of the
penitentiary. The prisoner was
brought to the governors Office by
Guard Robbins of the penitentiary,
accompanied by two officers repre-
senting the postal officials. He was
carried into the private office of the
governor and delivered into the care
of the chief executive, according to
Capt. Griffith, by Guard Robbins. La
ter w. III. Sondley, captain of the
guards at the penitentiary, notified r.
Beverley Sloan, United States commits
sioner here, that the governor had or
dered Johnson brought to his office at
the state house. Mr.. Sloan immedi-
ately telephoned to the sheriff's office,
and upon being informed that Sheriff
Mccain was out of the city, deputized
r. s. Hipp, rural policeman, as a depu-
ty marshal to serve bench warrant
on Johnson, charging him with rob
bng the potofiice at Plymouth.
Statement by Hipp.
Il was waiting in the corridor out
side the governors Office" said Mr..
Hipp, when the governor sent ne
gro out to tell me to come into his
office. l went in and he asked what
kind of papers / had for Johnson, who
was seated by the governors desk.
handed the governor the United
States warrant. He looked at it and
asked me If wasn't rural police
man. | told him that ] was. The
governor then asked me what right /
had to serve United States papers and
said j had better attend to my own
business before / was out of Job
The governor warned me not to put
my hands on Johnson, as he had a let
ter from Cochrane and told me to go
on and to attend to my business or
wouldn't have any job All this took
place in his private office, which
would have not entered except for the
fact that he invited me in. / walked
out of his office and met United
States Deputy Marshal Sem, to whom
| turned over the warrant for Johnson.
| believe it was my duty to arrest
Johnson when / had been deputized
by United States Commissioner Sloan
to do so and the warrants had been