The San Francisco call., 1906-05-29
UNCLE SAM
AF TER THE:
LYNCHERS
Attorney General Moody
Begins Action in
Court
Outgrowth Of Murder Of
Negro by Mob in
Tennessee.
Black Man Put to Death
in Defiance Of Su-
preme Tribunal.

WASHINGTON. May 2S.-The Govern
ment has taken steps to punish the per-
sons who were responsible for the lynch
ing in Chattanooga, Tenn. on March 10
last Of the negro, Ed johnson, who, un-
der sentence of death for an attack upon
"A woman. 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 today Attorney General
Moody filed an information requesting
that in consideration of acts committed by
the persons named, il issue a rule upon
each of them to show cause why they
should not be punished for contempt Of
court. Twenty-seven persons are named
as defendants.
After reciting the facts of the arrest
conviction and sentence of Johnson, the
denial of his petition for a writ of habeas
corpus by the Circuit Court. in which il
was alleged, among other things, that the
petitioner had been denied a trial by a
fair and impartial jury and had been de-
MED the aid OF counsel, in violation of
the fifth and sixth amendments TO the
constitution, and other rights under the
fourteenth amendment, the Attorney
General stated that the sheriff and his
deputies had every reason TO believe from
current reports and runnors conveyed to
them that an attempt would be made to
lynch Johnson. and that notwithstand-
ing these facts the sheriff 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.
1t was stated also that about 8 O'Clock
of that night the defendants and a large
number of other persons combined and
conspired together TO lynch and murder
johnson with the intenta to show their
contempt and disregard of the order of
the court and for the purpose of pre-
venting 1T from hearing the appeal al
lowed by the court and for the purpose
OF preventing the prisoner from exer-
cising a 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 a mob, neither he nor Dep
uty Gibson did anything to prevent the
lynching, but in fact aided those engaged
in ii.
The AttorneysGeneral closed as follows:
Wherefore, the United States of
the complainant herein.
through its Attorney General, respect
fully requests this honorable court that in
consideration of the acts committed by the
above named defendants and each of
OHSih, ds HSTelHDelOre set ,1ortn, 1t Will
.ssue 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 why said defendants and each of them
should not be punished as and for a con-
tempt of this honorable court"
The court granted leave to file as re-
quested, making the rule returnable on
the second Monday of the next term of
court October Is next
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, May 28-The
action of the Attorney General OF the
United States came as a surprise here
the local grand jury having failed to find
an indictment against the lynchers of
Johnson, although strongly charged by
Judge McReynolds. Ten of the men named
by the Attorney General are officials, the
sheriff and his deputies. The others are
not widely known or prominent