The Washington times., 1906-10-14
Alleged Crime of Infu-
rated Mob in Ten
neSSee.
NEGRO ASSAULTED GIRL
Sheriff, Deputies, and Crowd
Charged With Contempt
of u. S. Supreme Court

One Of the most remarkable cases ever
known IN the annals OF crime, VIII De
called ia the United States Supreme
Court tomorrow. ii grows out OF race
troubles in the South and IS the first
case OF lynching yet TO reach the court
OF last resort.
Sheriff ]. +. Shipp. nine OF his depu-
ties and seventeen alleged members OF
mob which lyucheG I'D Johnson. a negro,
on the Tennessee river bridge. at Chat
tanooga, on the night OF March 10, have
been ordered TO SHOW cause why they
should not be held IN contempt Of the
Supreme Court. because 1t is held that
Johnson was a United States prisoner Al
the time he was lynChed.
The answer 10 the bill of Attorney
General Moody. charging contempt, viii
be filed by the Hon. JudsOn Harmon, Of
Cincinnati, chief counsel Tor Sheriff
Shipp and his deputies and the answer
OF the alleged members OF the mob also
VIII be answered by the various attor-
neys representing these men, A motion
win be made to hear the cases on the
answers and, If this is overruled. a
motion viii then be made 70 hear the
cases on dispositions TO be taken by
unitedf States commissioner II this
motion is overruled, Il VIII be necessary I
for all OF the defendants TO appear IN
person before the court OF last resort,
Mob Would Prove Alibi.
The attorneys for Sheriff shipp are:
Judge Harmon. OF Cincinnati Robert
Pritchard, Martin Fleming. William &
Daniels. Spears & Lynch, and Williams
& lancaster, OF Chattanooga. Members
of the mob, as charged, have employed
the following: John ". Maddox. for
mer Congressman from Georgia, T. W
Standeid. Henry Il. FTy, who has wit
ten q book on the race question. and
Oscar YarneI. The alleged members of
the mob viii seek to prove an alibi and
some have made af1daVits that they had
nothing whatever 10 do with the lynch
ing of Ed Johnson.
This remarkable case had its begin
ninE on the evening Of January % Miss
Nevada Taylor, a most highly respect
able white girl, the daughter of an old
Federal soldier and the keeper of Forest
Hills Cemetery. who was returning from
her work In a grocery store in Chatta-
uooga, alishted from a trolley car, and
was nearing the gate. which opened into
the cemetery, where the family lived. AS
she walked by the side Of a fence, She
was attacked by a negro, who approach
er thong about her neck.
No clue was afforded the officers, un-
III Charley Hixsou, a young man stated
that he had seen q negro at that spot.
not ten minutes before. and that he was
carrying a leather thong. which he
twisted about his fingers. He believed
that be could identify the negro. il he
could see him again. An au-day search
was made tho next day. On the even
Ing OF January -. the young man point
cd cut Ed Johnson. who was on an ice
wagon. lie was arrested at once and
lodged in Jail
Prisoner Spirited Away
Fearing mob violence. Sherim Shipp
hurried the prisoner away in a closed
carriage 10 d station on the Nashville
road where they took the train for
Nashville. Johnson was kept in the
jail at the Tennessee capital, where he
was partially identified by Miss Taylor
as the negro who had committed the
crime ON JhaC very evening. a mob OF
several hundred men gathered at the
Jail and demanded Ed Johnson, Floyd
}VasthelG, the negro who murdered a
constable and I'D Smith, who attempt
ed assault on an inmate Of the Vine
Street Orphans Home. The mob met
with such powerful resistance on the
part of the sherihs deputies that no
damage was done, save the battering Of
the Jail doors
The public demanded a speedy hear
Ing OF the case and no information was
given PuL TO the public of the date of
ihe hearing. Johnson was brought from
lHe Nashville jail on the morning of
IeofuafE o. The trial was begun In the
county court house that morning. the
PopAc not being admitted TO the crimi-
hal court room. The campus Of the
court house was heavily guarded by the
potlee ana the county officers.
criminal Court Judge s. ID. Ne
isey !ti' noias' Who begged the first mob to
ledNe the JAIL heard the case.
Dramatic Scene in Court.
During the progress OF the trial Miss
IaSloF narrated the details Of the
crime out never positively identified the
prisoner With the prisoner standing
hy her side she said.
L would not be the cat,e. Of t,t-i,-~
an innocent mans life. God knows hut
i believe he is The man
These words created a sensation ,,,,,,,
the jury and one juror almost coIlansed
AT the end OF three days on the morn
ing or February B. the Jury brou,-I'e
in verdict OF guilty. The prisoneT,'s
attorneys announced that thew Vo1Id
make a motion for new trial and ~
Lhat Same evening the case was called
Tor that purpose, but the attorneys
stated that they had seriously consio-
cred the case and that thev had con
eiuded 20 let the law take its course
Judge McReyn0lds then pronounced the
sentence of death on The prisoner. He
had nothing TO say, except that he was
innocent. He was sentenced TO hang
March g.
y. ~. Parden and S. L. Hutchins, two