The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-19
CONVICT FORGER PUT
DUMMY ON U. S. SHIP
Has Seaman Shanghaicd. Car
ried as Prisoner Over Pacific
and Placed in Jail.

SAN Francisco, June ls.-Drusged.
shanghaied and brough; across the ocean
prisoner and then thrust into prison
to serve a three year term for a crime he
never heard OF and a man he never saw,
Alfred johnson, Norwegian sailor, has
at last won his freedom. He was freed
from San Quentin penitentiary this af-
te<noon by Federal Judge Dooling on a
writ OF habeas corpus at about the mo-
ment District Attorney Preston received
a cablegram from Nagaski saying that the
real criminal. Peter A. Gordon Grimes.
alias Pete Rogers, had been arrested
there.
johnson must appear in court again
on June 81, when the writ Is returnable.
but in the meantime he is at liberty. He
was brought from Shanghai under sem
tence by the Treaty Court for the crime
of forgery committed by Grimes. The
real Grimes served a term In San Quentin
for forgery and was released only last
August. He won the sympathy OF Robert
Dollar, who sent him to Shanghai to serve
as a clerk.
Grimes posed as Dollars son on the
steamer hoated some bad checks among
tIG pdSStUEtiS anu NpupihAi'' VII 'N'N'
ing Shanghai. The forger was arrested
and convicted and turned over to Prison
Guard Kilgore to take to Nagasaki, there
to board the United States transport
Sheridan for San Francisco.
Convict Gets the Two Drunk.
The substitution OF johnson for Grimes
was made in this way. tho authorities
say: An officer In charge OF Grimes took
him TO a saloon on the way to the ship.
They met Johnson and Grimes got them
both drunk. drugging the sailor. Then
he put his papers in Johnson's pocket and
| had both guard and Johnson put on the
ship.
| The temperance of Grimes In his ac-
customed haunts after he was supposed
to be in prison led United States authors
ties in the Orient TO investigate. The
chase led TO Nagasaki, but the evidence
| there showed that the criminal was in
custody of the ship.
To make sure n wireless message was
sent from Nagasaki TO Capt Spur ask
ing him II he had receipted for the pris-
oner. He answered that he had and that
Grimes was safe on the ship.
johnson spent some time In San Quen-
tin before his protestations OF innocence
got him a hearing. Then prison authori-
ties who had known Grimes as Jimmie
Rogers during previous term In the
penitentiary were called and they de-
clared that the prisoner was not the man
they thought they had
Federal Justice Dooling was interested
in the case and he discharged Johnson
to-day. Gri IS W. convicted OF for
prison before.
} The story of the life of Peter A. Gordon
Grimes would make fine material for tn,
moving pictures.
Grimes was a bookmaker on the Louis
willie racetracks for a while and ther
went further West, finally reappearing In
} New Orleans. There he became friendly
with members Of German opera com
, pany which was touring the country ant
, engaged them In a drinking bout that 1,
still famous In that city.
When he came to he was on a ship a
, sea with one silver dollar In his pocket
4. He was landed in Hamburg, where h
, met an American friend who took hin
to Manchester. England. and gave hin
l Job.
Grimes worked TOT rev months AM
then started to rove again, turning u
next in the Christmas Islands, where h
became sort Of potentate and acquires
some money.
The next stopping place Of Grimes Wa
: Yokohama, where he played the stoc
market. with results disastrous to him.
For a time Grimes engaged in tho res
estate business in California. Then h
4 again disappeared. Mall for him wa
o received by an attorney. About tw
. months ago a friend in Pittsburs got
letter from him postmarked Nagasaki.