The Washington herald., 1915-02-05
CLEARED
OF ANY WRONG
States S Attorney Says Sheriff
Not to Blame for Escape
of Prisoners.
MANY MAY RE FREED
MANY MAY BE FREED
OnIy Those Actually Caught Making
Bets at Myers Station Will Be Pros
ecuted, Says Attorney Green.

AnnanoIis. Feb. 4-State's Attorney
Nicholas Green stated today he had no
desire to work any hardships on any OF
the 1Is prisoners now out on bail VINO
uera taken in the raid at Myers station
two weeks ago.
.'It is my desire to cause no naroshiP
toward any one taken in the raid' % %saIu
Mr. Green. land as have not had time
20 confer with my operatives. / am un-
abIe TO state Just what evidence does
exist However, 1 shall only try TO Sc
cure convictions against those VINO aclu'
aIIv were caught making bets.
az have never tried to tndict a man
without sufficient evidence, ana uhless
this is brought to me l shall only cali
the players as witnesses:
"uad the men taken in the raid been
Narvlanders I should not have insisted
on bail being furnished, but as ! needed
witnesses to make a case, and these per
sons were nonresidents, ] was compeheu
10 hold them in bail to make their ap-
nesrance before the grand jury IN April
certain. H. t.
81 shall insist that every man who Is
out OF bail shall be present at the next next
term OF court, and you may rely upon my
statement that I shall ask lot torlel SA!I t
of the bail bonds for all those who fail 10
appear. l.. o,,ert
of mine and has been for years, man
who enjoys an excellent reputation anu
ono whom I have the greatset respect
for but this will not prevent me from IN
sisting that he produce his men IN coul
when called for. Sentiment has no par
in this matter. I am doing my slinpIe
duty and intend to carry II out 10 the
letter of the law.
Mr. Green stated emphatically that
he was satisfied that the escape OF tne
tventy-two prisoners, which II Is al
legged took place in Annapolis was
caused by the confusion or hanonns
such a large body of men, ana ma @
sheriff John E. Potee was absolutely
not at fault II they did escape
Potee Not to Blame.
"Sherifr Potee was as much as
founded as l was when we discover
ed that twenty-five prisoners were
missing from the county JAIL ana
ON satisfied and convinced beyond
doubt that the sheriff had no loea
that he men did escape, II they o'o
get away from here.
81 imagine that several OF theH 81 81.
away in the courthouse, "hen nv
were fixing up bonds, tor' IN iao''
recaIl two men who were trying "
TnTnlHn
later on when 1 was ready to take
nm the matter of bail bond in tnelr
respective cases they were not 10 DC
found This convinces me that many
of the escapes were made in TINS man
ner. but I am more than satisfied ina.
sheriff Potee was not at tauit' anu
there is absolutely no renecuoh as
m his honesty and integrity; the same
has never been questioned by me.
I'VE had operatives in the alese9
nool-room for weeks before the raIu
vas consummated, and the only rea-
SON the raid was not made by Sherin
Potee was that we feared that my
men could not be raised in Anne
Arundel County to conduct the RAID
Hitbout giving the pool-room men
ample notice, and instead OF nndlns
a nool-room we would probably nave
Tound a Sunday school class
mo reflection should be made
against the sheriff. as his conduct
has been above board, and any state
msnts to the contrary are unwarrant-
ed and unjuStihed-