The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-11-15
JAIL SENTENCE FOR
CONTEMPT OF COURT
Tennessee officers Arraigned For Con-
tempt For Permitting Negro,
to Be Lynched.
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press
Washington, d. c.. Nov. 15.-Ninety
days Imprisonment was imposed today
upon former sheriff. Joseph F. Shipp,
Of Chattanooga, Tenn, by the supreme
court Of the United States for con
tempt Of court in falling to prevent
the lynching of a negro, Ed Johnson,
convicted Of assault but whose exc
cution had been stayed by the court.
Williams and Nolan were sentenced
to niety days and Gibson, Padgett and
Mayors were given sixty days
This was the second tine in the
history Of the supreme court Of the
United States that that august body
had imposed a sentence upon citizens,
held guilty of disregarding its man
dates. The previous occasion was in
another generation.
Heading the little group of six men,
found guilty of contempt, as they
took their places before the blackrobed
justices, was Captain Joseph H. Shipp
the sheriff in Chattanooga, Tenn,
when he offended the court. His TALL
straight figure, his scanned face and
his grayed d-streaked beard, told of his
long service in the army of the con
federacy
Bowed down under his rs years,
jeremiah Gibsen. the jailer, stood with
him. With bedimed eyes he looked
upon the long white locks of the chief
Justice, himself 76 years Of age, who
would soon pronounce sentence upon
him, perhaps send him to prison. He
and Captain Shipp had been found
guilty of failing to protect negro,
waiting to be hanged on a charge of
a heinous crime against a white wo-
man, after the supreme court of the
United States had stayed his execu-
ton.
Luther Williams, Nick Nolan, Henry
Padgett and William Mayes, residents
Of Chattanooga. found guilty Of parti-
cipation in the lynching Of Ed John
con, formed the rest Of the group. Be.
fore them all sat the officials Of the
department of justice. Around about
them in the little court room. were
their attorneys and other lawyers.
while the three rows of seats for spec
tafore wara croygded
? The proceedings were partically
without precedent In 1875, John
Chiles, business man of Texas, was
brought before the court for contempt
in connection with dealings in Texas
indemnity bonds, contrary to an order
of the supreme court. He was fined
$3.50. But that instance lacked the
interest Of the case today. In it were
involved no race question, no lynch
ing, no interference with state juris-
diction; only the majesty of the law |
as interpreted by the highest court |
of the land
The case today originated in The
courts decision in March, 1906, to con-
slider the appeal of Johnson, from
verdict Of the Tennessee courts hoia-
ing him guilty and sentencing him to
be hanged on charge Of assault. The
night after the determination of the
supreme court to review the proceed
ings was wired to Chattanooga, a mob
stormed the Jail. took the prisoner
out, and lynched him.
The court was much incensed by the
lynching, and at its instance the at
torney general instituted proceedings
against Sheriff Shipp. Jailer Gibson
and twenty-five others supposed to
have been implicated in the lyaching.
charging them with contempt Many
of tEesaccused We're exonerated and III
the end only six were found guilty.
The finding Of the court was an
nounced in May, just before the close
of the last term of court, but all the
defendants entered motions of rehear-
ing, which had the effect of postpon-
ing action until this fall. On Nov 1,