Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-25
GUILTY OF CONTEMPT
OF THE SUPREME COURT
Sheriff Ship, Two Deputies and
-Four Citizens Will be APfaigned
Fjr Sentence.
lYAcHIHG Of NEGRO THE CAUSE
II CHEST Court in the Land viii Pun
ish Tennesseeans Who Are Alleged
10 Have Combined to Kill Prisoner
Who Had Been Granted Respite
Action Without Precedent.
CBy Associated Press.}

10Y -ANNON i1AAu I ANcssf
WASHINGTON. d. c., May III
For the first time in Sc serious a case
the Supreme Court of the United
States VIII, on next Tuesday week
undertake to mete ont punishment for
the crime of contempt Of the court
itself. and the Importance CT the oc-
casion will be enhanced by the num-
Der Of defendants.
The preceding will take place in
connection with the cases of Sheriff
Ship and Deputy Sheriff Gibson. OF
Hamilton county, Tenn. and of four
ether residents of that county named,
respectively Williams, Nolan. Padget,
and May. These men were today de-
clared by the court, tn be guilty OF
an act of contempt in combining In
March, 1905, in conspiracy To lynch
a negro. Ed Johnson, who had been
sentenced to death by the local courts
on the charge of rape. and in whose
case the Supreme Court had inter
fered to the extent Of granting an APP
peal which had the effect of a super
sedeas.
On the night following the an
nouncement Of the courts action
johnson was taken out of Jail in
Chattanooga and lynched. There was
70 resistance on the part of the jail
authorities and Ship and number
Of his deputies as well as aboat TWEEN
ty citizens. were proceeded against on
the charge Ct contempt of the Federal
court.
Six Found GUILTY.
r The case has been pending ever
since. and the number of defendants
was from time to time reduced 10
nine. OF these nine, three were today
found guiltless while the other six
were ordered to be brought into court
next Tuesday week for sentence.
They will be taken into custody i'm
mediately and will appear in court
under charge CT Marshal Wright. The
sentence may be either fine CT i'm
prisonment. or both.
The case is regarded as OF excep-
tional interest because it is practically
the tSI lllllt Nlhl tntcs tht
court in the United states, has ever
undertaken to assert its dignity or TO
resent acts or words rejecting upon
It.
In one previous case some gears
ago a defendant was fined for some
expression of contempt, but-the Gaze
was so Comparatively insignificant as
to practically leave the present pro-
oecding standing alone
Guilty for Allowing Contempt.
In the case 4 Sheriff Ship and
D. pu,y Gibson the court in effect &C.
cIares that there may be Contempt in
a failure of officers of the law to pre-
vent a crime in CONTEMPT of the court,
and IN taking cOgnizance Of an Of
fcnse at so great a distance. the curt
for the first time asserts by action
lis right to compel the proper respect
for and treatment of its vcTdicts in
all PARTS of he Union.
The charge Il contempt against
Sheriff Ship and his co-dcferdanis
vas due to the fact that whcn John
son vas Iynchcd he was cOnstruc-
lively in the custody Of the court
OuIv a month before the negro had
been found guilty. and had been sen
fenced to death The supreme Cour,
had granted IN appeal from de-
cisirr Of the United States Circuit
Court Gcnving him a writ 81 habcas
CORPUS. mitch effected = stav of pro
cccdiurs IN the crnvict-s case.
c7uoisins e. President
Tho appeal was allowed on Marca
~. and that night Johnson was Ia
hon ont ~ tho Jail ~ Chattanooga
and hargcd. This action vas strong
~ resented hv the ccurs. and irms-
diasr complaint was made 10 Prczi-
dent Roosevelt. Who ordered an w
veStirafion by The department. of
.sficc. That investigation resulted
IN the filing IN the court BY the at
t0rncy general IN Nav. 1895. II an
reformation. IN which Ship ana
nine II his dcputics and seventeen
other p~ryons we're charged with
cornpiicity IN tho ivnching. ship ana
some ~ his su5ordinafcs BY abscnt-
INK themselves from the jail on the
night ~ The tragedy. and the others