The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-12-03
MANNING, S. C. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER g. 1913
BACK IN The Tolls
CONVICT ARRESTED
FOR old GRIMES
GOES BACK TO PRISON


Governor Blease Sets Another Muir
derer Free as Well as Bad Bur-
slar-"Oakland Sammy" Was Not
as Fortunate as ''Portland Ned,
Who Escaped From Blease's Office.
The Columbia correspondent OF
The News and Courier says when
Samuel K. Williams, alias Jas. P.
Kelly, alias Oakland Sammy, was
released from the State penitentiary
Wednesday morning, under a parole
from Governor Blease, after serving
five years of ffteen-year-sentence
for safe-cracking in Charleston coun-
ty, he walked into the Federal au-
thorities' cluth, Deputy United States
Marshal J. l.. Adams serving Fed
eral warrant on Williams under a
charge of robbing post Office in
Marion, Ala, August 1, 1901.
The yeggman was taken before
United States Commissioner R. BeV-
erley Sloan, and in default Of S10,-
900 bond was committed to the Rich
land county Jail to await prelim-
mary. The warrant on which Will
liams, alias Oakland Sammy, was
arrested was sworn out by Post Of
fee Inspector Gregory before Assist
ant District Attorney Arthur R.
Young at Charleston on October 10,
1908, Mr.. Young at that time being
United States commissioner, and
charged that Williams robbed post
office in Marion, Ala, August /, 1901.
Williams is a big, heavy-set fellow,
weighing about 200 pounds, well pro-
portioned, and about so years of age.
He did not express surprise at falling
into the Federal officers hands on
being released from the State peni-
tentiary, and took his arrest with
that stoical appearance which all Of
the yeggmen have. He remarked
that it looked as if he would be kept
in prison all of his life. Williams is
said to be wanted in several other
states. 1t is said that he escaped
from jail once in Montgomery, Ala,
and again in Florida while awaiting
trial. He is said to be an escaped
convict from Missouri, and in addi-
ton to the charge on which he is now
under arrest by Federal authorities
there are claimed to be other charges
against him.
Governor Blease turned loose on
Wednesday Benjamin John, white,
convicted at the July, 1913, term of
court for Kershaw county Of murder
with recommendation to mercy, and
sentenced to life Imprisonment in the
State penitentiary. John, or the Rev.
Benjamin John, as he was known,
was a Turk and had been in this
country about two years. In COM
pany with another Turk, the Rev.
George Simons, they were going
through the country collecting sub
scriptions to build, so they claimed,
a mission school at NineVah, Asia.
They were in Camden last summer
and were walking down the track of
the Seaboard Air Line towards Lug
off, when they got into fuss. John
killed his companion and hid his
body under trestle, where 1t was
found. John had served about five
months of his life sentence. John,
who speaks only broken English, was
brought to the governors office,
along with two other prisoners who
were also paroled, in stripes and
while awaiting the making out of his
pardoning papers conversed freely in
his broken English. He said that he
was going back to Turkey, as straight
back as he could, vie New York. He
said that he had a wife awaiting him
in his distant home and and appeared
beside himself with joy at getting
out of the penitentiary. When solic-
iting subscriptions John held creden-
tials from the Archbishop Of Alaaria
and it is back to that past of his Tur-
key that he says he is going.
William Mckinley, alias Dayton
Scotty", serving fifteen-year-sen-
tence for burglary and larceny, was
paroled. Mckinley entered store
at Montmorenci, in Aiken county, in
1901, and robbed the store and the
post office, which was located in this
store. He was rounded up by Post
Office Inspector Gregory and arrested
in Columbia January 6, 1903, and in
April was tried in the United States
court in Charleston and sentenced to
five years in the Federal prison in
Atlanta. After completing his SEN
tence in the Federal prison Mckinley,
alias Dayton Scotty, was taken in
hand by the State authorities and at
Aiken, in July, 1907, was convicted
largely on the testimony Of Post Of
fee Inspector. Gregory of burglary
and larceny and sentenced to fifteen
years in the State penitentiary.
The 1O5 prisoners granted freedom
by the goveror as his Thanksgiving
gift were all released Wednesday.
Those in the penitentiary got out
early Wednesday morning and scores
of them called by the office Of Gov
ernor Blease to thank him for his
giving them freedom. 1t is stated
that only 1S6 men and 46 women re-
main in the State penitentiary. The
total number of prisoners pardoned
and paroled by Governor Blease since
he assumed office in January, 1911,
is SS7.