The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1908-12-22
WOMAN TELLS
OF WH|PP|NG
Dragged From Bed BY Masked Mea
and Thrown Across
Log.


state practically completed its case
against the eight alleged night riders.
on trial for the murder of Captain
Ranken, when it drew from Frank
Fehringer, a member Of the band, q
detailed statement not only of the
murder itself AMI those who commit
ted it, but of score or more of other
outrages., And then, just to add the
finishing touches, it called to the
stand Mrs Emma Thurman Johnson,
one of the two women known to have
been whipped by the band, and had
close to. day of sensational devel~
opments.
AS Mrs. Johnson's name was called
a murmur of satisfaction arose. Near.
ly every one knew she had been
whipped, but except the grand jury
and prosecuting officers, no one had,
heard her story. A tall, slender young
woman, attired in black and heavily
yelled, walked rapidly to the stand
Mrs. Johnson had married Joe John
son, man 80 years older than she
was. She lived with him four years
and a child was born. Last August
she sued him for divorce, charging
cruelty, and asking maintenance
Early in September the riders visiteo
her fathers home and left word that-
she must withdraw the suit Shek
failed to do so. and on a second vis5t
her father was whipped
On both occasions she was at her
sisters home. The riders seemed o.
have realized this, for on Sept a.
about IL o'clock at night, they wena
to the sisters house. Mrs. Johnson
awoke from sound sleep beside her
babe to find her bedroom filed with.
masked and armed men. A mms
whom she recognized as Fred Pinionb
one of the defendants, was standing
SO close that she could touch him.
1--WE. have come to tell you for TIE
last time that you must dismiss tbsx
divorce suit" said Pinion, whom sIaor.
had known for years and who lives
scarcely mile away.
Il will not withdraw It," she -
piled.
You will before we get througb
with you." replied Pinion. 'If you dis
miss 1t now we will see that he suD
ports the child, but you must noG
touch his property"
Mrs. Johnson obstinately insisto&
that she would press the case. Then
the bandits filed out into the yard to
consult In a few moments they TO-
turned. Pinion stepped over to thG
young woman's bed and said, Cons
with u.s." Two others Of the band
seized the young woman, dragged hsF
roughly from the bed In her nfgkE
clothes and out into the night. They
hurried her about ESQ yards away
They threw her on log In the woods
and one Of them beat her across the
shoulders with a strap. After tho
first beating they asked her II she
would dismiss the suit. She said mo-
Then she was again whipped. This
time her fighting spirit was brokeB-
and she sobbingly said she would
give in to their demands.
Lets give her another" said one
of the band.
NO." replied Pinion "She has had
enough.
In bed with the young mother,
when the riders dragged her out into
the forest in her night robe, was her
two-year-old baby.
Mrs Johnson told her story under
strong objections from the defense.
She broke down as she described how
she was torn from her baby by the
black-masked men. She pressed hsy
case and won her suit.
Judge Jones sent out the jury b.
fore court adjourned, and said:
There are eight defendants here
charged with capital offense. They
are not handcuffed and are under
guard of only two deputies. I do net
think this safe. Therefore order
the sheriff to handcuff these men s16
ask the military to detail ten armed
men to serve as guards"
The defense offered vigorous OBJ
lection, and the attorney general de-
clared that this objection proved -
him that the precaution was neces-
sary.
Later Attorney General Caldwell
said: 'The order was made advised]y
upon the information which reached
the officers of the court. which iufor-
nation was serious enough to justify
us in taking every possible and legal
precaution."