Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-25
To FREE
BANDIT SUSPECT.
ON WRIT Fooled
NoIan's Lawyer Planned Habeas
Corpus If He Had Been
Taken to Marietta.
NEW CLEWS ARE DISCOVERED
Code Letters and Cartridges I'm
earthed in Prisoners Room
Lead to Fresh GriIing.

determined effort to free John
Nolan. train bandit suspect, on a writ
of habeas corpus was frustrated at a
conference of Cobb County officials
and Atlanta detectives in the local
police station Saturday afternoon.
It was learned that counsel for No
Ian, believing the prisoner would he
taken to Marietta Saturday night to
await preliminary hearing there on
the charge of holding up the Nash
Vile, Chattanooga and st. Louis train,
had taken steps to get writ Of
habeas corpus, which It was purposed
to serve as soon as Nolan was
brought to the Cobb County jail.
Sheriff w. w. Swanson and So
licitor General Herbert Clay OF Cobb
County, after going over the situa-
tion with the Atlanta detectives, de-
cided that It would be the safest
course to leave the prisoner here.
Important Clews Found.
This decision was Influenced by the
fact that the Atlanta department had
become convinced almost beyond a
doubt that Nolan was the nervy des-
perado who relieved Pullman passen-
gers on the Nashville, Chattanooga
and st. Louis train at Winnings STA
tion OF nearly $500 In money and jew
elry week ago last Friday night
They were strengthened in thei-
conviction by the discovery Saturday
of the pistol which Nolan had pawned
in Decatur street loan office ami
which Is said to be a mate OF the
weapon that terroriZed the Pullman
passengers: Of the room where Nolan
stayed during his brief residence in
Atlanta. knowledge of which the prls-
oner had defied the officers to ob7
tain; of "a cartridges which Just fit
the 45-caliber pistol; of a funnel
such as is used by craftsmen in
blowing safes, and of sundry notes
and messages apparently written in
secret code
Detectives Black. Chewing and
Fred Billiard turned up the signih
cant clews during their investigation
Saturday. and submitted their report
at the conference. along with the in
formation that w. C. Hadley, one Of
the bandits victims, had been positive
in his identification of Nolan as the
man who had accomplished the dar-
ing holdup.
Sheriff Swanson and Solicitor Clay
came to Atlanta presumably to take
Nolan back to Marietta with them, as
a warrant for his arrest on a robbery
charge had been sworn out before
Justice Of the Peace B. V. Greer, of
Marietta.
Not Returned TO Tower.
A furry was caused by the report
that Nolan's lawyer Don X. Johnston,
was preparing to get out writ OF
habeas corpus to free his client in
Cobb County. Nolan was brought
from the Tower, qulzzed at length by
Solicitor Clay and the detectives, and
finally, instead Of being taken to Ma
retta or returned to the Tower, was
left for safekeeping with the police
department
Nolan's hearing before Justice Of
the Peace Greer Is set for next Tues
day afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. It is
believed that the prisoner will be kept
in Atlanta until just before he is to
appear for his preliminary hearing.
The holdup was committed between
Winnings and Bolton Cobb County, and
the Cobb County officials laid claim 10
the prisoner as their man" on this
ground.
L. w. James. who is associated
with Attorney Johnston in the defense
of Nolan, said Saturday night that he
was unable to explain why the pris-
oner was kept at the police station
rather than being taken back to the
Tower. unless II was because the de-
tectives could work on him better If
he were imprisoned at the station.
"They want to try to get him to
confess to something" said James,
but | don't think they have a thing
on him. They are just blufiing about
that