The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-16
UNIQUE EVENT IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
Six Men in Prison for Contempt
OF Supreme Court of the
United States.
CLIMAX OF THE NOTED
TENNESSEE SHIPP CASE
Prisoners Have Been Given
Pleasant Quarters and Are
Apparently Satisfied.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15.-For the
first time in American history six
men are i'll prison tonight for contempt
Of the supreme court of the United
States. For the first time tho federal
government has placed men behind the
bars as an outcome Of lynching a
negro.
AT tho United States Jail here, Cap
tain Joseph L. Shipp, former sheriff at
Chattanooga; jeremiah Gibson. his
.iailer. and Luther Williams, Nick No.
Ian, Henry Padgett aud William Maycs
of the same city this afternoon began
TO serve terms of Imprisonment imposed
a few hours before by tho supreme
court Of the United States.
Basis Of Offense.
Shipp and Gibson had been found
guilty of failing TO protect from Il mob
Ed johnson, whose legal execution for
rape had been STAYED by the supreme
court, until it could review tho case.
The others had been found guilty of
participating i'll the lyuching of 4 fed
cr1l prisoner.
Ship, Williams and Nolan each were
sentenced 10 ninety days imprison
mont, while Gibson. Padgett and MayeS
each received sixty days.
As the doors of the Jail swung open
10 receive the prisoners this afternoon,
immediately after sentence had been
imposed, Warden Mckee stood before
them.
AT least we arc in the bands OF Il
SOLDIER exclaimed Captain Ship, who
had bceu in many fight for the con
tcderacy. as be cspicd a q. A. r. but
ton in the lapel of Warden Mckee
Then turning TO his fellow prisoners.
he SAID: Boys, it viii be all right, -
Warden Is Humane.
Warden Mckee has inaucuSatcd
methods Of punishment at tho Jail as
humane as tho various classes OF
prisoners will allow. and he was pre-
pared for the reception of the six men
from Tennessee.
\ year ago. in the imprisonment Of
ar nnuSusllv large numbcr~of woioen.
The wardeo had fitted up a store room
on the fourth floor of tho jail Us quar-
tcrs for female prisoners IT was IN
this large room, twenty by thirty-fiye
feet, that he locked the six prisoners
In the room was bed for each
while at one end was II table upon
which "trustics - viii set their meals
three times day.
a bathroom adjoining will bo used
by the prisoners exclusively. -Four
largo circular windows open 10 the
south and west, giving excellent views
OF the front Of the buildings In fact,
so pleasant did the prisoners find their
quarters that Captain Sbipp sent his
attorney TO the offire OF the supreme
court to withdraw n request he had
made when sentenced was imposed TO
bo sent 10 tho federal prison at At
lanta, Ga
Prisoners Pleased.
In tho afternoon the six men re-
ceivcd calls from Tenncsseans and
others. Sitting on his straw bed, half
reclining GU his pillow of straw. Cap.
tain Shipp made this statements
"Wc arc well pleased with the treat
mcut given us by Warden Mckee, and
arc delighted with the quarters as
signed US. "
few hours in jail made Gibson
reminiscent. He told his companions
that this was not the first time he had
been in prison in Washington.
"But the other time. ] was brought
here as confederate prisoner" he
said.