Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-28
AFTER LYNCHERS Government Will Now
 Take a Hand. CONTEMPT OF COURT.
Will Be the Charge Against the Men Who Killed Negro Who Was
 at the Time It Occurred
 Under Sentence of Death.

Washington, May 28.-The gov ernment has taken steps to punish the persons who are responsible for the lynching in Chattanooga, Tenn on March 19 last, of the negro Ed Johnson, who, under the sentence of death for rape, had been allowed an appeal by the United States supreme court from the circuit court of the United States for the eastern district of Tennessee. In the supreme court to-day Attorney General Moody filed an information requesting that in consideration of the acts committed by the parties named, 1t issue rule upon each of them to show cause why they should not be punished for con tempt of the court.
 The persons named as defendants are John F. Shipp, Frank Jones, Mat thew Galloway, c. A. Baker, T. B. Taylor, Fred Frauley, George Brown, Jeremiah Gibson, Marion Perkins, Joseph Clark, Nick" Nolan. Since nie" Warner, Luther Williams, Paul Pool, William Marquette. William Reeler, Claude Powell, Charles J.. Powell, Bart" Justice, John Jones, A. J. Cartwright, R. F. Cartwright, Henry Padgett. William May, Frank Ward, John Varnell and Alfred Ham, mond.
 After reciting the facts of arrest. conviction and sentence of Johnson. the denial of his application for writ of habeas corpus by the circuit court, in which it was alleged among other things that the petitioner had been denied trial by fair and impar- tial jury, and had been denied the aid of counsel, in violation of the fifth and sixth amendments to the constitution and other rights under the fourteenth amendment; and the order of the court of March 19, allowing the appeal of the su- preme court; and the fact of the tele- graphing of the order of the court to John F. Shipp, sheriff of Hamilton county, who had Johnson in charge, and the publication of the action of the court in the Chattanooga evening papers of that date. the attorney gen.
  deputies had every reason to believe. from current report and rumors con- veyed to them that an attempt would be made to lynch Johnson, and that notwithstanding these facts the sher- iff withdrew from the jail early in the evening of the 18th the usual guard and left in charge only the night jailer. Deputy Sheriff Gibson.
 It was also stated that about 9 o'clock of that night the defendants and a large number of other persons conspired to lynch and murder John son with intent to show their con- tempt for the order of the court and for the purpose of preventing it from hearing the appeal allowed by the court and for the purpose of pre- venting the prisoner from exercising right secured to him by the laws and constitution of the United States.
 The facts attending the lynching are given in the information filed and the statement is made that although Sheriff Shipp returned to the jail while it was in possession of mob. neither he nor Deputy Gibson did any stHiu6 eo picNchl tue t1uCutu8s but in fact aided those engaged in 1t.
 The attorney general closed as fol- lows:
 Wherefore the United States of America. the complainants herein, through their attorney general. re- spectfully request this honorable court that in consideration of the acts committed by the above named defendants and each of them. as hereinbefore set forth. 1t will issue and direct the marshal of this court to serve upon said defendants and each of them a rule to show cause. if any there be. on day certain why said defendants and each of them should not be punished as and for a contempt of this honorable court"