The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-03-06
SHERIFF GETS RECORD
Of SUPPOSED ROBBER
Letters From Over Country
Show That John Nolan Is
A "Bad Man"

6 and StL. passenger train snort
time ago is not guilty, letters re-
caived by Sheriff w. E. Swanson in
dicate that he is well known as a
crook in other parts of the country.
From all over the Country the
Sheriff is receiving reports and pho
tographs that seem to show beyond
the shadow of doubt that Nolan is
bad man"
Seven photographs and numerous
letters, some from the famous Pink
erton Detective Agency show a re-
sembIance TO the man being held here
The letters received by the Sheriff
will probably prove more interesting
than a story based on them so we
are reproducing two or three of
them:
From Greenville, Tex, comes the
following:
Some time back you wrote our
Chief of Police asking for the record
of one John Nolan, not knowing
whether you got the information l
thought | would write you relative
thereto This man Nolan and his part
ner, Teddy O'Bryan, was arrested in
this county in 1907 on a charge of
mi @c;o
charge of vagrancy, to which charge
they plead guilty and were sentenced
to term on the county farm. While
on the farm they overpowered the
guard, took his gun, robbed him and
left They were not heard from for
some time, when we heard of them
they were in Jail in Washington,
Iowa, where they had been caught
at our request. Knowing this man
Nolan as | do, will say that if you
have the original John Nolan, you
have one of the handiest crooks the
country can produce, and his pal,
Teddy O'Bryan is even as good as he
We class them with the high pres
sure criminals.
Il can look at the man you have
in charge and tell you in one minute
whether you have the original Nolan
or not hope you have got the right
man, and can station him for the re-
mainder of his and my days., will
send you his picture Could be of
any service to you further let me
know it, would be more than glad
10 serve you at any time. l will look
up my old records and if l find any
thlng that l think would be any
heIp to you will mail same to you
at once.
lSigned) SAM. R. POLK,
Asst. Chief of Police.
From Washington County, Iowa,
letter from the Sheriff reads in
part as follows:
These men, Nolan and Stops,
Ooth served time at Fort Madison,
IOWA. penitentiary. Nolan, under the
name Of William Burton, served IS
years and Stops, or Patterson, 8
years and months. Nolan was dis
charged ON December 80, 1906 and
otoops was discharged on October
90 l9O6 and arrested in Greenville,
texas on January 10, 1907.
these men, Nolan and Stoops, be-
came the worst safe blowers there
are on the road today and both are
dangerous men.
~, '"lShed) R. H. MCCARTHY,
III OF Washington County, Iowa.
IN the course of a letter from the
|"e'Ilt OF Keokuk County, Iowa, NJ
"a" and his pal, O'Bryan, are referr-
" 10 as band men and dangerous"
anu continues to cite an incident in
'n,'n these men were wanted for a
''0eTy, the Chief of Police went
. 10"N TO arrest them, the letter con-
.-'''S' Ihey held up the Chief, took
4 gun away from him and went on
ns ll' way A system of sending
n,S money orders to keep each
n ,|s' posted is cited in the letter and
90 '' the end it says: 81 have known
mem and circumstances which
nave happened for the last ten years
n.1 LINK McCarty (Nolan) and his
tbt. nave blown as many safes in
~, Couhtry as anybody"
sba. n,s letter is signed E. J. Grimes.
It OF keokuk County, Iowa.
sbou. a. the information received by
inc - swanson is correct the NOV
brs,. lure people have got to get
mill 0i Nolan has got 'em beat a