The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-23
WOMAN WITNESS
ASKS JUDGE FOR
PROTECTION
Testified Against Night Riders,
Feared For Life
MEMBERS OF GANGIDENTIFIED
Prisoners Brought Into Court Hand
cuffed in Couples and Under
Heavy Guard.

Union City, Tenn, Dec. 23.-When
Mrs. Emma Jackson, one of the state
witnesses, this afternoon in the Night
Riders trial, was excused from the
stand, she turned to Judge Jones and
said:
Il will not leave the court room with
out armed protection. l know these
men,"
Mrs. Jackson told vivid story of
several visits of the riders, corrobora-
ted Fred Felringer's testimony in
many details as did other witnesses
and identified by name at least twenty
seven members of the band. She was
followed on the stand by her daughter
Miss Dora Jackson, an Is year old girl.
who corroborated her mother.
The last witness of the day was Will
Russell, another alleged night rider
who has turned states evidence. He
was trembling with fear and could
scarcely raise his voice above a whis-
per Russell is under constant guard,
but says he fears that he will be killed
IN spite of these precautions. Rus
sells story is practically the same as
that told by Fehringer and corrobora-
ted II in every essential detail.
The prisoners were brought into
court handcuifed In pairs with a detail
OF two soldiers for each pair. The
soldiers with rifles halted at the court
room door and other soldiers armed
with reyoyers met the prisoners at
the threshold and escorted them TO
the bar.
Judge Shaw, the first witness. was
the proprietor of store near Reelfoot
Lake He said the riders forced him
TO give them oil 10 pour on the fish
docks when they were burned and
later whipped him when he tried to
go before the Grand Jury.
Shaw amused the court by his quaint
answers TO questions Of counsel. After
the riders whipped him they told him
to run
Did you run?' inquired the court.
You oughter seen me, retorted the
witness.
The afternoon Witnesses continued
the confederation of Fehringer's con-
fession, detail by detail, raid by raid.
Old Man Pagan cleared up the mys-
terry of the name. II is Harvey. lie
was taken out and whipped. He did
not know what he was whipped with
but said it felt powerful like piece
of leather" He said that the day the
soldiers arrived Garrett Johnson, one
Of the eight defendants. drove with
him to Camp Memo.
As they passed a little cottage a
woman saw the prisoner. threw up her
arms and screamed: Now. thank
God, ! can tell what | know" She
was taken under guard to Union City
FOR her own protection. The woman
was Mrs. Anna Jackson who was call
ed TO the stand during the afternoon.
She said the riders came TO her home
forced her to dress, and accompany
them to her fathers with her husband
and daughter. They ordered her to
Kill some dogs she owned and burned
| her fathers house. She identified
Garrett Johnson as the leader.
The riders came back two nights
later she declared, forced her to go to
her fathers half clad, and said there
had been some talking done They
whipped her father and then her sis
ter. She heard her sisters appeal for
help and began TO scream. whereupon
they threatened to whip her also She
said she recognized Carrot johnson
again and several others. A third
time she said they called to force her
to get rid of her sisters little child.
because the latter had quarreled with
another neighbours child. They de-
clared that II they had TO come again
they would whip her. "A fourth time
they came to whip her father because
he testified before the Grand Jury. On
the last visit Carrot Johnson said the
witness, asked her II she had talked.
She replied, NO, Mr. Johnson | have
not"
IF you were a man." Johnson re-
torted, I'D blow your brains out. We
will hang you II you talk"