Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-28
.LYNCH|NG Of THE
NEGRO Ed JOHNSON
United States Has Taken Steps
To Punish Persons Re.
SponsibIe for It.
MOODY FILES INFORMATION.
johnson. Condemned to Death. Had
Been Allowed Appeal by L. :. su.
prcmc Court When Lynchcd,

Washington, May 26--The govern
mont has taken steps TO punish the
persons responsible for the lynching
IN Chattanooga, Tenn, on March 10 last
Of the negro. Ed. thomson, who, under
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 dis
trilt Of Tennessee In the supreme
court today Atty-Gen Moody filed an
Information requesting that in consd-
GRAFTON of acts committed by the per-
sons named II issue a rule upon each
of them to snow cause why they should
not be punished for contempt of The
court
Twenty persons are named as
defendants,
After rectng the facts Of the arrest,
conviction and sentence Of Johnson, the
denial Of his petition for writ Of ha-
heas corpus by the circuit court IN
which il was alleged among other
things, that the petitioner had been
denied the aid of counsel, IN violation
Of the firth and sixth amendments 10
the constitution, aud other rights un
der the fourteenth amendment and
the order OF the court OF March 10, Yl-
lowing the appeal to the supreme court
and the fact Of the telegraphing Of he
order Of the court 20 John F Ship,
sheriff of Hamilton county who mad
Johnson IN charge, and the publication
of the action of the court IN the Chatta-
nooga evening papers on that date the
Acknowledgement stated that the sher-
III and his deputies had every reason
To believe from current reports and ~.
mors conveyed to them that an attempt
would be made to lynch Johnson. and
that Notwithstanding these facts the
sheriff Withdrew from the TAIL early IN
the evening OF the 18th the usual guard,
and left IN charge only the night jalier,
Deputy Sheriff Gibson.
n was stated also that about o'clock
of that night the defendants and a.
large number of other persons COM
bined and conspired together to lynch
ana murder Johnson with the intent 10
show their contempt aud disregard o.
the order Of the court and For the pur-
pose of preventing II from hearing the
appeal allowed by the court and for the
purpose Of preventing the prisoner from
exercising a right secured to him by
the laws aud Constitution Of the United
States.
The facts attending ne lynching are
given In the Information filed and the
statement tx made that although Sheriff
Ship returned 10 the jail while II was
in possession Of a mob, neither he nor
Deputy Gibson did anything 20 prevent
the ynchng, but IN fact aided those
engaged I'm II,
The attorney general closed as fol-
lows;
"Whereforc. the United states NJ
America. the complalnants herein,
through their attorney general respect
fully request this honorable court that
IN consideration Of the acts committed
by the above named defendants ana
each Of them, as hereubefore set forth.
It VIII issue and direct the marshal OF
fhis court to serve upon said defend
ants and each Of them a rule to show
tnuse, II any thcre be- on day certain
why said defendants and each Of then.
should not no punished as and for
contempt of this honorable court.