The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-11
JOHNSON IS INNOCENT
Colored People of Butte Hold an
Indignation Meeting.
CLAIM TO HAVE PROOFS
A Petition Sent to the Governor-They
Assert That the Girl Followed Him
to Butte-M issoula Attorney
Turns Neat Trick.

Butte, Dec. 1o.-The colored people of
Butte to the number of about 100. held
a meeting last night at the A. NJ. e.
church to formulate a protest to the
governor against granting requisition
for Joseph c. Johnson. the colored man
in jail at Missoula on the charge of
having eloped from Sweet Springs. Mo,
with Kate Neal, white girl. The act
of which Johnson is alleged to have
been guilty is regarded as a serious Of
Tense against the laws of that state,
and his friends believe it would go
hard with him if taken back. The COL
ored people claim that johnson is in
nocent of any violation of the laws OF
Missouri and say that If an offense was
committed. it was in Montana. The
speakers at last nights meeting all
argued that way and said they did not
want to shield Johnson If he had vio-
lated the laws of Missouri, but they
had proofs that he did not
L. A. Lasha presided at the meeting
and Charles f. Jones acted as chair
man. Mrs. Il. b. Adams, who con-
ducts lodging house at 206 West
Granite, at whose place Johnson and
Miss Neal stopped while in Butte, made
a statement of her knowledge of the
case. She said Johnson arrived in
Butte on Nov. IS and the girl arrived
on the 1st which shows that they did
not elope, but that the girl followed
him. Johnson was at that time en-
ployed as waiter at the Butte cate.
When Miss Neal arrived in Butte he
took her to Mrs. Adams place and
that lady thought the girl was colored,
but during a conversation Miss Neal
told her that she was graduate of the
college at Brunswick, Mo-. which state
ment caused Mrs. Adams to remark
that colored people were not allowed
.IN,- lao
girl told her that she was not colored.
Mrs. Adams was still more surprised,
because she knew the law of Missouri
was severe against the intermarriage
of whites with blacks. Miss Neal told
her that she had been married to john
son for year, but that her parents
did not know it and she did not intend
that they should find it out.
johnson and the girl remained at the
home of Mrs. Adams a week or more
and the girl then learned that Missouri
detectives were after them and they be-
came frightened and left the city, the
girl returning to her home and Johnson
going to Missoula.
Rev. Byas. pastor of the A. M. l..
church. Samuel Jones, l.. A. Lasha and
c. T. Jones also addressed the meeting.
They argued that If there was any Of
Tense it was committed in this city and
not in Missouri, and Johnson should not
be permitted to be taken back to that
state 1t was stated as a fact that
Johnson left Missouri. where his peo-
pie reside, to get away from the girl
when he discovered that she was in
fatuated with him, for he knew what
would happen to him if the populaCe
learned that he was the object of the
girls affections. A day or two after
his arrival in Butte he received a tele-
gram from her dated at Sweet Springs,
telling him that she was about to fol-
a fI.Yl.
worked up over the receipt of the tele-
gram and consulted some of his friends
as to what he should do.
At the conclusion of the speeches
and the statements of the facts of
the case. the meeting adopted petit
ton to the governor reading as fol-
lows:
Whereas, One Joseph c. Johnson is
now incarcerated in jail at Missoula,
Mont, on a false charge of kidnapping
and abducting Miss Katie Neal of
Sweet Springs, Mo-: and
Whereas. We are in possession of
certain authenticated facts of the day
and date of the arrival of said Johnson
in the city of Butte, which was on the
18th of November. 1897. and also of the
day and date of the arrival of Miss
Neal in the city of Butte. which was on
the 21st day of November, 1897. and she
stating that she came direct from Kan
sas City, Mo; and
Whereas, The said Johnson is held,
restrained and imprisoned as a matter
of respect to the authorities of the state
of Missouri and not for any crime COM
mitted.
therefore. we. the colored citizens of
Butte, state of Montana, most humby,
but seriously. petition your excellency,
the governor of the state of Montana,
not to honor the requisition of the gov
ernor of Missouri. which has been is
sued for Joseph C. Johnson for no
other purpose than to return him to the
state of Missouri to lynch him.
The petition, which was adopted, con-
tanned the names of about 100 colored
| people OF the city. 1t Will be forwarded
to Helena to-day.