Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-11-04
PERU DEPOT ROBBER is
GIVEN LONG TERM
IN PRISON
COMPANION FREED
WlNsLoW DISCHARGED. BUT
JOHNSON is FOUND GUILTY BY
JURY IN CIRCUIT COURT AND
MUST GO TO JOLIET.

A. Il. Johnson, aged, 36, cx.convict,
was found guilty of charge Of rob.
berry with a gun, by jury in the cir
cult court last, night The same jury
acquitted Sam Winslow, aged 35. who
was jointly charged with Johnson as
participating in the crime For the
ohense Johnson will be given term
OF from ten years to life in the state
penitentiary.
After the hearing it became known
that in August an attempt was made
to smuggle Johnson a loaded thirty
eight caliber revolver to his cell in
the county Jail. The revolver was
sent in gallon of syrup The au-
thorities by apprehending the gun.
frustrated what may have been an
attempt at murder suicide or Jail
delivery.
The matter was kept under cover
by Che county officials until after
johnson had received his sentence.
Gets Gun In Syrup Can.
In August Johnson wrote to a pal
in Chicago, and asked for money to-
oHPioy an dltOIity duu SOIllp
Sweets A few days later a parcel
post package was delivered at the
county Jail for Johnson The jailer
as is customary opened the parcel,
and found that II contained a gallon
syrup can. He noticed that the bot.
tcm had been taken off and soldered
back on, and that the top had also
been soldered on Taking an ice pick
she ran it down through the cover,
and found an obstruction before the
syrup reached the bottom of the can.
He empijcd out the syrup, and
found that a false bottom, which
came to point had been soldered in
the can Cutting out this bottom, he
found loaded long thirty-eight cali
her revolver The gun had been care
fully wrapped in tissue paper TO
keep 1t from rattling around in its
compartment
That night the jailer took Johnson
a dish of syrup. "Is that all that he
sent?" he asked. mo, but you can't
have the whole can up here" replied
the jailer. Johnson said nothing
more. The next day he was taken
to the Office of the Jail by Sheriff
Ayers, and put through a grillinG,
hut failed to shed any light on the
appearance Of the gun.
Sheriff Ayers also made a trip to
Chicago, but was unable to find
from where the package had been
sent.
Exoneratcs Winslow
In court yesterday Johnson was
brazen to the point of insolence. He
readily admitted that he held up Will
liam Weisenberger, the Peru agent
for the Rock Island railroad on the
night of May 10, but claimed that
WinslOw was not a party to the hold
up.
Winslow claimed that he got in a
box car at Bloomington the night he.
fore to bum ride to Kewanee
where ha expected to find work, and
that he fell in with Johnson on the
way. He claimed that the two slept
in box car in La Sale overnight
and that the next smorning they woke
up and got ont Ct the car early, as
they were almost frozen.
He claimed that the first he knew
that johnson had a gun, was when
he and Johnson entered the Peru
station to get warm, and Johnson
walked ever to the ticket office win
dow and held up the agent. He al
legged that he left the building at
that juncture and started down the
tracks, but that Johnson overlook
him.
They were arrested two blocks from
the station
Obtain o5 Cents.
The ticket agent testified as to the
hold up, claiming hatsWinslow stood
beside Johnson during the affair. He
stated the men got 95 cents from
him, and that then Johnson came in
the Office and looked through the
drawers for greenbacks.
The case went to the jury at $50
o'clock At S:45 the verdict was re-
turned. Seven ballots were taken
before the decision was reached. the
first was 10 to for acquitting Win
slow. The ballots ran along in this
fashion until the sixth when an II
to l vote was cast. The last was
unanimous.
Forced to Take Stand.
Just before the case came to a
close Johnson created excitement by
refusing to return to the witness
stand States Attorney Harry F.
Kelly asked that he be recalled John
son refused to go. The court called
him, but he still refused tc testify