The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-03
BRUTAL MURDER OF 3. A. BASS.
THE VERDICT ~ TaE CASE TO BE
HANDED N TODAY.

The Former Mistress Of she Accused
Negro swears He Confessed the
killing to Her-Another Negroes
swears the Prisoner Was AT Her
House When the Crime Was Com
mifted.
Atlanta, Ca. July 2-Christopher Co
lumbus Johnson. negro crook OF wide
reputation in local police circles, was
tried to-day for the murder of Baker A.
Bass.
The Bass murder was one OF the most
sensational and mysterious in the records
Of the city. and the trial OF Johnson To-
day packed the court house.
Bass was a well-known merchant on
Peters street Early one morning last
August he was shot down from ambush
on Ivy street, a block from his home
and right under the windows OF the
Hotel AragOn.
No one witnessed the killing. and IL
was at first believed that Bass had com
mitted suicide. but investigation soon
pointed 10 murder Several arrests were
made. but without result in unwilling
the mystery that surrounded the trag-
edy
Then It was charged that city detectives
were mixed up IN the case. they having
had a quarrel with Bass. who was sup
posed to be on the eve OF giving dam
aging evidence against them 20 the grand
Jury. These accusations against the de-
tectives fell through. however. and for
several months preceding the arrest of
the negro johnson efforts TO unravel the
mystery and bring the murderer to jus
tics seemed 10 have been suspended,
though a reward OF $50. offered by the
widow Of Bass. who left considerable
insurance money, was outstanding.
Johnson the negro placed on trial this
morning, was arrested a month ago. He
IS said to have had a grudge against Bass
because both were infatuated with the
same negro woman, and because he
thought Bass had kept him on the chain
gang 10 prevent him seeing the woman
when he had given him the money to pay
his fine and get him out, and had promised
20 do so.
Johnson's attorneys declared that they
would spring a sensation, duplicating 9TH
er people, but they failed to do so, although
one of their witnesses was trying to tell
an Irrelevant story, besmirching the city
detectives, when the court suuelched him,
and one OF the defendants lawyers on the
stand declared there was a put up con-
spiracy against the negro to shield others
and capture the reward.
The principal evidence Of the state was
given by Sarah Scott, the negro woman
who was alleged TO have aroused Johnson's
jealous anger toward Bass. She had Wis
fted Johnson while he was on the chain
gang and told him Of Bass refusal to pay
his fine. when / told Johnson this" she
testified he said he would Kill Bass when
he did get out" After he got out of the
gang, johnson came to my house and
said he was going to get even with Bass
soon. on Friday night after Mr.. Bass
was killed he came back TO see me again.
and told me he had killed Bass and showed
me the pistol he said he did IL with-a bull
dog.
The morning Bass was killed Jesse
Jones. an elevator man at the Norcross
building, was coming up CORTLAND street
and heard the pistol shot He saw a man
running just after the shot AS he pass
ed under the electric light he recognized
him as some one he had seen before. The
following Monday morning he saw him
on Decatur street and recognized him as
Johnson. Later in a barrOom he heard
Johnson asked by a friend why he was
running so that morning and he replied
that he had got into some trouble on Ivy
street. man had promised TO get him
out OF his troubles, johnson said but he
hadn't, and" he said, Il have got even
with him. have fixed him so he viii
not take another colored mans woman
away from him.
The defense undertook to prove an ALI
hi by Rachel Showers. negro woman,
who swore that Johnson had spent the
didn't leave until three hours after the
body was found. sealed verdict will
DE returned by the jury tomorrow morn
ing.