Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-07

A great excitement pervaded the city
when the news Of these events circu
lated among the citizens. The Missis.
sippians were in great peril. When they
were arrested and taken to Jail, they
were slipped out at the baek.door Of the
hotel and lodged in Jail. Their exRmin.
ing trial took place in the old school
building on the corner of Walnut and
Fifth, where the Methodist church now
stands. The writer remembers seeing
DR.. Wilkinson aud Murdaugh, locking
very much the worse from the affray, Us
they entered the building.
An appeal was made TO the Legisla.
ture for change of venue, and an act
was passed, authorizing the Judge Of the
Twelfth judicial district TO hold a spe-
cal term Of the Mercer Circuit Court for
the trial Of the Mississippians. For the
prosecution appeared the Common
wealths Attorney and the Hon. Ben
Hardin. The counsel for the defense
were the Hon. John Rowan, the Hon. s.
S. Prentiss, Colonel Robertson, Sam
uel Davis, John B. Thompson,
Charles NJ. Cunningham, James Tay-
lor and G. M. Wickliffe. The forensic
efforts of the Hon. Benjamin Hardin,
of Judge Rowan and of the Hon.
s. s. Prentiss were among the greatest
of their brilliant career. That Of S. 5.
Prentiss' challenged the admiration Of
all who heard it. He was very severe
upon many of the witnesses for the
prosecution, especially upon Redding,
Henry Oldham, Jackson and Bill john
son. Johnson's wild, erratic, clustering
talk laid him open to the remarkable
powers of Prentiss. He ascribed to
johnson the remark, in the bar-room,
that il some one did not leave the
room, he'd see the finest sort Of beef
steaks served up" Prentiss asked,
"Who but johnson could speak in such
rich and technical language2 Who but
johnson could boast of having as much
manhood as was ever wrapped in the
same extent of hide2 while, at the same
time, he had so arranged it that the
hides of Mississippians would not hold
shucks. Who but this unmitigated saw
age would talk of skinning a gentleman
quicker than | could skin a sheep2
Why, gentlemen, | should be afraid TO
buy meat out of his stall. He talks as
if he supplied it by barking. should
expect some day to swallow an un-
baptized infant in the disguise Of a
reeking pig or eat a fellow-citizen, in
cog, in steak.
The jury acquitted the Mississippians
after very short consultation.
The details of this celebrated trial
we're reported and published by Thos
4. Browne, the father Of j. Ross Browne.
He was, at one time, the ablest reporter
in the country, and was, for long pc
riod of time, in the service Of Blair q
Rives, as reporter for the Congressional
Globe
The friends of johnson represent him
as being badly worsted at this trial, and
as feeling very sore over the severe
cross-examination to which he was sub
jected.
William johnson was n native Of this
county, and was born in the year 1909.
He was apprenticed to the butchering
trade, which he followed until 1886,
when he went into partnership with Col.
Alfred Tarleton and Martin and Fred
Geiger in the pork-packing business,
erecting factory in the eastern part of
the city. This business failed after the
first season, owing to the failure of
Barr, Pincard q Co., of New Orleans,
and johnson was left nominally poor,
having made over his property to his
wife and children. He occupied him
self afterward in selling bacon for other
parties.
In the fall of 1871, Mrs. johnson ap-
piled for divorce and the full possession
of his property, claiming that he did not
provide for his family. In this suit she
brought as witnesses several persons who
we're boarding with the Johnsons at the
time, but they knew of no ill-treatment
or failure to provide on his part, and the
divorce was denied. The couple con
tinued te live together after this suit,
seemingly in the most amicable manner.
1t was previous to this that Johnsoh's
health failed him, and eventually he
became quite childish and helpless with
the gradual advance of the disease. He
died on last Thursday, aged sixty-four
years.