New-York tribune., 1908-12-22

---,o- -.-x Tenn Dee 1.-THE state practically
conlrieted its to-day against the eight al
l-eed Night Riders on trial the murder Of Cap
fsin Quentin Rankin when SC drew from Frank
17enrfnger member of the band. detailed state
xnent Of the Rankin affair and a score or more
Other cufraSes. Il also called TO the stand mrs
Frn-ns Thurman Johnson. one OF the two women
ssia 10 have been whipped by the band. and had
her tell her story
The startling testimony OF FehTinger. who con-
se.sed accusing the men trial OF being actual
~,,-.sr+-s-+s q, the murder Of Captain Rankin.
ssven with great exactness OF detail. amazed the
people who thronsed the courtroom Ihen' as '
Johneon's name was called murnnnr OF sa'4N
faction arcsA She walked rapidly TO the s1aho
'Ens rsn,oved her vel reluctantly on the JUDGES
instruction. that she might be heard by the jury
aE-x Johnson had married Joe" Johnson, a man
thirty years her senior, and hveo win nm ioul ,
Ases-s when & chsld was born Last august sie
sued him for divorce, charging cruelty and ask
snr maintenance Early In September the rloels
Ar1s--a5 aer fathers home and left word that sae
,,1,st 1sthdraw the suit She failed to 90 SO anu
sn . second visit her father was whipped
FOUND AT SISTERS HOME
tn. -sders se~rn TO have realized this for on Sep
f.r,her 40 at about Il O'Clock at night. they went
sxn II. sisters house. Mrs johnson awoke, beside
her child 10 hnd her bedroom filed with masked
.e-d armed men. A man whom she said she recog-
!riEed as Fred Pinion. one Of the defendants was
,stsndins so close that she could touch him
we have come to tell you for the last time that
Sor must dismiss divorce suit. Pinon is al
fleged have said
! sT viii not withdraw It" she replied
you will before get through with you was
,.he reply IF you dismiss il will see that
he supports the child. but you must not touch his
property
! AEr. Johnson insisted that she would press the
lease Then the men withdrew into the yard TO
consult III few moments they returned Flnon
ist.ured over 20 the young wonan's bed and said
sHCome with US"
! Two others Of the band seized her and dragged
FSer from the bed in her night clothes They hur-
ried her about go yards and Of them beat her
lscross the shoulders with strap After the first
lheating they asked her IL she would dismiss the
ksuft. she sad she would not Then she was again
whipped
,xobbinsly said she would give IN TO their demands
Lets give her another" said one Of the band
No" she said Pinion replied; she has had
-xnough.'
MrE johnson told her story under strong ohtec-
lions from the defence.
Judge Jones sent out the jury before court ad-
3ourned. and said:
There are eight defendants here charged with
capitsl offence They are not handcUffed and are
under guard OF only two deputies. do not think
his IS safe Therefore order the Sheriff TO hand
cuff these and ask tbs military to detail ten
armed men serve as Guards.
The defence strongly objected. but the Court re-
FUSED TO withdraw the order.
Later Attorney General Caldwell said:
The order made advisedly upon infoTTna-
tion which reached the officers OF this court, which
Information WIS serious enough TO Justify US IN
taking every possible and legal precsuuon-'
FEHRTNGBR ENTERS COURTROOM.
: When Frank Fehringer brought into court
to-day he was surrounded by detail Of six armed
soldiers At the courtroom door two Of the SOL
diers armed with rifles halted and four others.
armed only with revolvers. took Fehringer in
charge. -Four armed deputy sherifs cleared a way
through the crowd in the aises and Fehrnger was
led TO the stand
The soldiers sat down inside The railing facing
ithe throng. Deputies armed heavily, took posi-
.ilous in various parts Of the II a tense
moment. The witness. a diTninutiye man, seemed
20 be composed. but pale. He crossed his legs
boot
FehrfnEer knew all the defendants and had &C
Companied them many rides prior 10 the killing
Of Captain Rankin. The Night Riders garb con-
sisted OF long black coats black masks trimmed
with white and some had false boards attached to
the bottom. on one occasion Deputy Sheriff Mays
since resigned. and who one Of the riders. at
tended meeting unmasked At this meeting Garrett
johnson was chosen chief. and other captains were
named for different Deighborhoods and authorized
70 order raids whenever The riders OF q certalr
place thought something needed regulating.
often the riders whipped and women without
knowing why except that the captain ordered II.
once when the grand jury was in session and sew
sral men who had been whipped had been sum
noned Garrett Johnson sent out general order
10 hang one of the who testified They caught
a witness named John Shaw his way TO court
near Sleepy Hollow. whipped him savagely and sent
him home DE did not testify.
'Old Man Bogus the only name by which he IS
known testified the burning of fish docks by the
riders The outlaws met a few nights later and
got into g quarrel TO whether TO hang Bogus