By Oscar J. Coffin
Raleigh, Aug. 14—Jailer Jim Jordan, entertaining “Michigan Shorty” and “California Bill” in the country prison pending their trial for breaking into the Oxford post office and robbing it of $33,000, declares that he has never had two more delightful prisoners than these men, who have been out of jail several times in their long lives.
The men were landed here Saturday morning before daylight and delivered to the county authorities to await the September Federal Court “Michigan Shorty,” who has borne the names of John Murray, Thomas E. Murray Thomas E. Connell, John Mack, and James Mason, has nothing in nomenclature on “California Bill,” who is William Smith, William Dolan, William Burns, William F. Hanley, W. Fred Hickey. They are of the upper criminal crust and bear the national record on loot. No post office ever was caught before with $33,000 in its wallet.
Jailer Jordan marveled more at the newspaper record of the men than he did at anything else about them. These notables always overwhelm him. They must be lineal descendants of the gentlemen highwaymen made immortal by one of the Lyttons. When it comes to convincing anybody that they are “bad” men, they are too nice about it.
The prominent prisoners will plead alibis when the government indicts them for the robbery of March 9, 1920. “Michigan Shorty” today declared that he had not been in North Carolina until he crossed the Tennessee line Friday and that he an prove his whereabouts. The prisoners were taken in New Jersey and a big battle was in the legal making when they escaped from the Jersey jail and fled to New York City, the Texas of the present day. July 25th of this year they were caught in Memphis, and they have been brought to trial here. The legal fight over the court’s jurisdiction was in full blast when they escaped.
The prisoners are charged with stealing the Cadillac of A.H. Vann of Franklinton, with which they made the 20-mile trip to Oxford and the flight from the Granville capital. Several persons recalled them in that wonderful run from the officers, a flat tire delaying the run and finally at Lynchburg they gave themselves away when they left the machine at a garage and failed to call for it. They were captured nearly three months after the robbery.
From the front page of The Daily Free Press, Kinston, N.C., Aug. 14, 1922
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