The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-04
A FEARFUL CAREER
OF HORRIBLE CRIME
GRIFFITH PROVES AN EXPERT
IN CRIME
Killed Fellow Prisoner in Making Es-
cape from w. Va. Pen.-Sev.
eral Other Murders to His
Credit

who was arrested IN Greenwood Iast
week on the charge of robbing stores
and the postofice at Silverstreet
proves to be a much wanted criminal.
Mention was made of the robberies
ard the arrest Of Griffith in recent
issue Of The Herald and News.
On Monday night January "a, the
stores of H. c. Lake, J. C. Berry, ].
?. Slair ard company and the depot
at silverstzeet were entered and rob-
bed. The postofice was in the store
of J. C. Berry. About 100 pennies
and some silver coin and box Of Joe
Green cigars were about all that was
missed, amounting to about $3.50
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 Ea-
ther suspicious looking fellow and
notified the police at Greenwood that
such person had gotten off at that
place. He was located by Policeman
C. T. Nelson in small store and Mel
son covered him with his gun and
searched him. After relieving him Of
three pistols his prisoner 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 noti-
fed and went to Greenwood and
brought the prisoner ~ the Newberry
Jail. 4sS,ssssss =.
It is said that in searching the pris-
oner some papers were founa sia his
possession which caused Policetnan
Nelson to write ito Moundville, W.
Va, to make inquiry about one o. B.,
Mays. There being another prisoner
in the penitentiary by that name. and
he and Griffith having been some
what chummy it was thought that
possibly Griffith had been located and
his picture >and q description were
sent to Mr.. Nelson.
M. Nelson came to Newbery with
the picture and then Griffith admitted
that his name was Griffith and that
he had been in the penitentiary at
Moundsville, but he denied the charge
that he had killed a fellow prisoner
in making his escape from the peni-
tentiary.
It has developed that Griffith is ra,,
ther a notorious criminal and as soon
as it was found out in West Virginia
that he had been captured the daily
newspapers at Wheeling began send
ing 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
told of the many crimes Of which
Griffith has been guilty. He was serv-
ing 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 Janu-
ary of this year.
It is said that id making his escape
he undertook to stop the machinery
which runs the electric lights Of the
prison so that he might have the dark
ness and avoid detection and that IN
50 doing he aroused 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 that he was caught ne
cut the throat of the guard who was
q prisoner, and also cut the fingers
of another who was attracted to the
place, and finally stopped the big en-
CINE by cutting a big hole in the IL
inch belt which drove the machine,
and made his escape over the walls
of the prison. He claims that he had
observed the watchmen on the tow
ers and he selected>a a place between
two whom he sized up as men who
would not shoot him, though he made
his get away with only one seeing
him and this one claims he thought
it was an officer. Griffith had started
a fire before making his attempt to
escape so as to attract attention. It