The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-12-25
NIGHT RIDER SECRETS.
Iember of Band That Lynched Capt.
Rankin Testifies-1ron-C Clad Oath
Taken by the Members is
Ae7ealed.

case today against the eight alleged
night riders on trial for the murder
Of Capt. Rankin. when it drew FROM
Frank Fehringer. d member Of the
band, who turned States evidenceI a
detailed statement Of the Rankin af-
fair, and a score or more Of ,other
outrages. It also called to the stand
Mrs. Emma Thurman Johnson, one of
the two women said to have been
whipped by the band, and d'had her tell
her story. t.~
The startling testimony Of Frank
Fehringer, whof confessed, accusing
the men on trial Of being actual parti-
cipants in the murder of Capt. Ran
kin, givep.J~ith an exactness Of de-
tail, a2azed the people who thronged
the court room. Then, as Mrs. John
sons name was called, murmur Of
s satisfaction arose. She walked rapid
1y to the stand and removed her veil
reluctantly, on the judges instruc-
tions, that she might be heard by the
! jury.
Mrs. johnson had married Joe
johnson, a man 80 years older than
she, and lived with f;a. four years,
when a child was born. Last August
she sued him for divorce, charging
cruelty, and asking maintenance. Ear
ly in September the riders visited her
fathers home and left word that she
must withdraw the suit. She failed
to do so and on a second visit her
father was whipped.
On both occasions she was at her
sisters home. The riders seem to
have realized this, for on, September
80, about II O'Clock at night, they
went to the sisters house. Mrs.
T johnson awoke beside her child to
find her bed room filled with masked
and armed men. A man whom she
? said she recognized as Fred Pinion,
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, Pinion is charged with
saying.
IT will not withdraw it," she re-
piled.
"You will before we get through
with you,'' was the reply.
"If you dismiss il, now We will see
that he supports the child, but yon
must not touch his property
Mrs. johnson insisted that she
would press the case. Then the men
withdrew into the yard to consult. In
"a few moments they returned. Plnlon
stepped over to the young woman s
bed and said: "Come with us
Two others Of the band seized her
and dragged her from the bed in her
night clothes. They hurried her about
250 yards away and one Of them beat
her across the shoulders with strap.
After the first beating they asked her
if she would dismiss the suit. She
said no. Then she was again whipped.
This time her fighting spirit was brok-
en-, and she sobbingly said she would
give in to their demands.
"Let's give her another" said one
Of the band.
"No," she said, Pinion replied,
''she has had enough -
Mrs. Johnson told her story under
strong objections from the defence.
Judge Strengthens Guard.
Judge Jones sent out the jury be-
fore court adjourned and said:
"There are eight defendants here
charged with a capital offence. They
are not handcuffed and are under
guard of only two deputies, and do
not think this is safe. Therefore l
order the sheriff to handcuff these
men and ask the military to detail
ten armed men to serve as guards. "
The defence strongly objected, but
the court refused to withdraw the Or
der.
Later Attorney General Caldwell
said:
"The order was made advisedly up
on the information which reached the
officers Of the court, which informa-
] tion was serious enough to justify us
in taking every possible and legal
precaution.'
Surrounded by a detail of six fully
armed soldiers Fehringer was brought
into court. At the court room door