The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-02-17
A FEARFUL RECORD.
Griffith, Alias Mays, Wanted I'm w.
Va.-A Nortorious Criminal.

0HnAAdis hAAhS NAayS, WduUeU IN w.
Va.-A NOTORIOUS Criminal.
w. H. Griffith, alias o. B. Mays,
who was arrested in Greenwood last
week on the charge OF robbing
stores and the postoffice at Silver
Street proves to be a much wanted
criminal. Mention was made Of the
robberies and the arrest Of Griffith
in recent issue Of The Newberry
Herald and News.
On Monday night January "a, the
stores Of H. G. Lake, ]. G. Berry, J.
p. Blair and company and the depot
at Silver Street were entered and rob-
bed. The postoffice was in the store
OF ]. G. Berry. About 1900 pen
nies and some silver coin and a box
OF Joe Green cigars were about all
that was missed, amounting to about
SIS in all. The robber walked up to
Ropp's crossing some eight miles
and boarded the Southern train the
next morning and got off the train
at Greenwood. The baggage master
on the train thought the passenger
a rather suspicious looking fellow
and notified the police at Greenwood
that such a person had cotton off
at that place. He was located by
store and Nelson covered him with
his gun and searched him. After re-
iieving him of three pistols his prls-
oner drew from his pocket another
and handed it to the policeman. AS
the robberies were in Newberry
county, and thinking this was all
Sheriff Blease was notified and went
to Greenwood and brought the pris-
oner to tn e Newberry Jail.
1t Is said that in searching the
prisoner some papers were found in
his possession which caused Police
man Nelson to write to Moundville,
w. Va, to make inquiry about one
q. B. Mays. There being another
prisoner in the penitentiary by that
name and he and Griffith having
been somewhat chummy 1T was
thought that possibly Griffith had
been located and his picture and a
description were sent to Mr.. Nelson.
Mr.. Nelson came to Newberry
with the picture and then Griffith
admitted that his name was Griffith
and that he had been in the peni-
tentiary at Moundsv1lle, but he de-
MED the charge that he had killed
a fellow prisoner on making his
escape from the penitentiary.
1t has developed that Griffith is
rather notorious criminal and as
soon as it was found out in West
virginia that he had been captured
the daily newspapers at Wheeling be-
gan sending kilograms to Newberry
for the details of the capture.
Captain Athey, of the penitentiary
guard, came to Newberry on Wednes-
day for the prisoner. Captain Athey
ms ny-tx,, 80
Griffith has been guilty. He was SER
wing life sentence for murder at the
time OF his escape and when faced by
Captain Athey Wednesday afternoon
admitted that he had killed a fellow
prisoner in making his getaway this
last time. He only escaped from
the penitentiary about the first of
January of this year.
1t is said that in making his es-
cape he undertook to stop the ma
chlnery which runs the electric
lights of the prison so that he might
nave the darkness and avoid detec-
tlon and that in SO doing he arous-
ed the man who was attending to the
machinery and that he failed to get
the place dark, and when he saw
that he aroused the watchman and
when he saw that he was caught, he
cut the throat of the guard who was
= prisoner and also cut the fingers
Or i~-.nother who was attracted to the
place, and finally stopped the big
engine by cutting big hole in the 10
inch belt which drove the machine
and made his escape over the walls
or the prison. He claims that he had
observed the watchmen on the tow
ers and he selected a place between
two whom he sized up as men who
would not shoot him, though he
made his getaway with only one
seeing him and this one claims he
thought it was an officer. Griffith
had started fire before making his
attempt to escape so as to attract
attention. 1t was reported he burn
eG one of the buildings but the fire"
was very small affair.
He was from the mountain section
or West Virginia and was a terror
to all the people of his neighbor-
nood, In fact was sort of czar in
the community, and not only that,
Dut was considered a really danger
GUS and reckless m an. Captain
Athey says when he gets Griffith
back to Moundville prison he will
have made his last getaway.
He made an effort to break Jail a.
Newberry, but was foiled by Sheri1
Blease, and it is said that he asked
one of the guards to get him a piece
OF iron and they both could make
their escape, but he would have a
very difficult task in getting out of
the Newberry jail. Sheriff Blease
has had him closely watched and