The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-01-20
SEVENTEEN men
= Held in PRISON
Maryland Governor Surprised
Twenty Alleged Bettors,
Have Escaped.
ERICSSON AT LIBERTY
Fifteen Must Appear as Witnesses.
Executive Thinking About Holding
Inquiry Into Wholesale Escapes.
Special to The Washington Herald.

special TO The Washington Herald.
Annapolis, Nd, Jan. determination
of the fact that a score of men made
good their escape. a declaration by Gov.
Goldsborough condemning the condition
whereby such wholesale delivery was
effected and disposition OF the cases of
the other men who have been confined In
the county Jail here since early Sunday
morning, formed the principal develop
ments today in the Myers Station raid
of Saturday afternoon, when a squad CT
fifty police from Baltimore swooped down
on a poolroom and gathered in a total
of 14S men, including six who. it is al
legged, conducted the place.
incidentally, the last Vestige Of hope
Of the men now in Jail of gaining their
freedom without bond vanished tonight.
Failing to get the amount of security
$500 or bondsmen, as their pals did on
Sunday and Monday, these men. number
ing seventeen in all, demanded a hear
ing before a police justice. ThereuFon
Justice Minnick held a session of his
court late this afternoon. The original
charge of placing bets on the races were
dismissed in fifteen cases. but immedi-
ately thereafter Justice Minnick, upon
direction of States Attorney Green, held
each Of them under $500 for their appear
ance before the April grand jury as wit
nesses.
Plead Not Guilty; One Held.
Two of the party sought to clear them
selves by entering a plea of not guilty.
These were George johnson. alias George
Thompson. and Percy Grant. But State s
Attorney Green was fully alive to the
situation and proceeded to prove the
cases against them. Detective Lieut..
Schanberger and Sergt. COOney, with
Walter Watson. clerk to Marshal Carter.
had come to Annapolis at the instance Of
Mr.. Green.
Watson was one of the parties used
as a "decoy'' Iy the police officials to
accomplish the raid. He gained ad-
mission to the poOlroom on several
occasions. and played the ponies
Watson testified first against Grant.
with whom he split bet on a race
last Saturday, the day the raid was
made He and Lieut.. Schanberger both
testified aga inst Johnson. The latter
was held under 81 loo bail while Grant
was held under 500 for his single Offense.
Neither Of them could furnish the Sc
Curity and were reCOmm.tted. Johnson.
who is a robust man Of about torty-ei Sht.
is = former member Of the Washington
police force. He admitted he served on
the force for years.
Only one of the seventeen was bailed
out tonight. This was Lars Ericsson.
of Washington, and his security was
furnished by II. +. Martin, of Nom e
gOmery County. Ericsson has a wife
and several children and his wife is
now in ill-health.
The declaration of Gov. Colds
borough was issued after a conference
with Judge Brashears and States At
torney Green. when he was acquainted
with the facts Oncerning the escape
Of tNUaDty Of these prisoners 1T is
inconCeivable how such a thing could
happen" he said among other things
and he limited that the judicial Off
Gals of Anne Arundel CounEy should
make a rigid investigation of the
matter.