The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-22
YOUNG WOMAN TESTIFIES HOW SHE WAS TAKEN OUT
 AND BRUTALLY WHIPPED
Judge Jones Orders Prisoners Hand cuffed and Heavily Guarded By Soldiers Because He Had Re-
 ceived Some Alarming
 Information.

Union City Tenn, December 21-The state practically completed it's case to- day against the eight alleged night riders on trial for the murder of Captain Ran kin, when 1t drew from Frank Fehinger, member of the band, a detailed state ment, not only of the murder itself and those who committed it, but of score or more of other outrages. And then just to add the finishing touches 1t called to the stand Mrs Emma Thurman John son, one of the two women, known to have been whipped by the band and had her tell her story. It was a dra- matic close to day of sensational de- velopments
 It was dusk when Mrs. Johnson was called. The startling testimony of Con lessor Frank Fehringer involving the men on trial as actual participants in the coldest blooded murder ever committed in Tennessee given with an exactitude of detail that was amazing, had whetted the appetites of the throng of people that packed the court room. The atmos- phere of the room did not affect them and when Mrs. Johnsons name was called a murmur of satisfaction ran through the room. Nearly every one knew she had been whipped, but aside from the grand jury aud prosecuting officers no one had heard | sa ssofg. 4 taH slendel young woman attired in black and heavily yelled i walked rapidly to the stand. She re- moved the veil reluctantly on the judges instructions that she might be heard by the jury.
 Married Old Man.
 Mrs. Johnson had married Joe John son, man 30 years older than she was. child was born. Last August she sued him for divorce, charging cruelty and asking maintenance. Early in Septem- Der the riders visited her fathers home and left word that she must withdraw the suit She failed to do so and on a sec ond visit her father was whipped.
 On both occasions she was at her sis ter's home. The riders seem to have realized this, for on September 30 about Il o'clock at night they went to the sis ter's home. Mrs Johnson awoke from sound sleep beside her baby to find her bedroom filled with masked and armed men.
 A single lamp. turned low threw the ghastly figures into shadows, here and there. She knew the purport of the visit. A man whom she recognized as Fred Pin ion, one of the defendants was standing so close that she could touch him.
 'we have come to tell you for the last time that you must dismiss that divorce suit" said Pinion, whom she had known four years, and who lived scarcely a mile away.
 "I will not withdraw it," she replied
 ''You will before we get through with you" replied Pinion, If you dismiss it now we will see that he supports the child, but you must not touch his prop erty.'
 Woman Is Whipped.
 Mrs. Johnson obstinately insisted that she would press the case. Then the ban dits filed out into the yard to con- suit In a few moments they returned. Pinion stepped over to the young wom- ans bed and said:
 Come with us.
 Two others of the band seized the girl, dragged her roughly from the bed in her night clothes and out into the night They hurried her about 250 wards away. They threw her on a log in the woods and one of the men beat her across the shoulders with the strap After the first beating, they asked her If she would dismiss the suit. She said no, then she was whipped again. This time her fighting spirit was broken and she sobbingly said she would give in ti heir demands.
 the band.
 No" replied Pinion. She has had enough"
 Won Divorce Suit.
 In bed with the young mother, when the riders dragged her out into the forest in her night robe, was her g. year-old baby. Mrs. Johnson told her story under strong objections from the defense. She broke down as she de- scrihed how she was torn from her baby by the black masked men. She pressed her case and won her suit.
 Judge Jones sent out the jury before court adjourned and said:
 "There are eight defendants here charged with a capital offense They are not llandcuffed and arc under guard of only two deputies. Therefore, or- der the sh eriff to handcuR these men and ask the military to detail 10 armed men to serve as guard"
 The defense offered vigorous ob- lection and the attorney general de- clared that this objection proved to him that the precaution was necessary. Later Attorney General Caldwell said:
 "The order was made adyisedly upon the information which reached the of ficers of the court, which Information was serious enough to justify us in