The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1914-03-04
State Board Decides on Par.
don At February Meeting
But Keeps Action Under
Cover.
JOHN LONTZ FIGHTS
RELEASE OF MAN
Warden Fogarty Champions
Piper's Cause on Ground
of Giving Him Another
Chance to Make Good.

George NJ Piper, whose sensational
embezzling operations a little over
four years ago while a travelling rep
resentative of the F. & N. Lawnmower
company, of this city, had the police
in nearly all the important western,
central western and eastern cities
searching for him with feverish actiy-
ity, has been released on parole from
the Indiana state prison at Michigan
City and is now in Richmond with his
family. 1t is understood a prominent
Richmond man has secured employ
ment for him at Indianapolis.
Pipers criminal career was brief
but spectacular, and the nationwide
search for him finally ended in Hart
ford, Conn, in February, 1909. after
he had successfully eluded for four
months the police in many cities. and
Pinkerton and Burns detectives. He
was arrested in a Hartford bank as
he was in the act of cashing a fraudu-
lent check for 500.
Quickly Arrested.
His arrest was brought about by a
manufacturer who Piper had asked to
identify him. Before the check was
cashed a bookkeeper at the factory
telephoned to the bank and told his
employer that a telegram had been
received from the F. e N. company,
giving notice that Piper was an en-
bezzler and wanted in Richmond to
answer such a charge.
Piper was arraigned In the Wayne
circuit court on a charge Of embezzle-
ment preferred by the F. & n. COM
pany, and pleaded guilty. His specu
lations in different parts Of the coun.
try have been estimated variously
from $4,000 to $4,000, extending over
short period of time. during which
time he lived like a prince.
Piper's parole, which became ef-
fective March !, was secured in the
face of the vigorous opposition OF John
NJ. Lontz, president of the F. & n.
company. In February. 1910, Piper
was sentenced in the Wayne circuit
court to an indeterminate sentence of
from two to fourteen years.
Lontz Fights Parole.
After the expiration of the first two
years Of this sentence he began his
fight through his local attorneys to
secure his parole or pardon. but for
two years his efforts were successfully
baked by Mr. Lontz. who maintained
that Piper deserved drastic punish
ment for his offenses committed in
various parts of the country.
One of Piper's ttorneys stated to-
day that the pardon board tentatively
decided sixty days ago to parole Piper
and final action in the case was taken
at the February meeting of the board,
although this was not made public at
the time and officials of the F. & n.
company were greatly surprised when
informed that Piper had arrived in
this city. The last protest filed by
Mr.. Lontz with the pardon board was
in January. Six months before that
successful remonstrance against his
release was filed.
Fogarty Favors Release.
Warden Fogarty of the Indiana
state prison was a champion of Piper
in his fight for liberty Fogarty said
Piper had been model prisoner and
was deserving of another chance"
His advocacy of Piper's cause, it is
said, had great influence with the par
don board.
Attorneys for Piper said today that
he had been wanted in Oregon, Wash
ington and Colorado to answer charges
of embezzlement, but these indict-
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