The Cairo bulletin., 1910-05-13
COUNCIL COMMITTEE INQUIRY
INTO CONSPIRACY BY POLICE
N. oro Prisoner Repeats Accusation and is Un.
shaken Under Hot Cross Examination---Police
Defense Full Of Contradictions

Mayor Parsons called meeting VI
the police, jail and IRE committee Tor
yesterday afternoon to inquire INTO
4 the charges against the two negro po-
| lice OFFICERS Wade and Johnson, made
| ~ the negro Mitchell Calhoun, that
hey insimidatad him into duplicating
| iagh White and his wife in the muir
Ter of Mary Lane Saturday morning
There were present His Honor Mayor
Parsons and Aldermen Greaney
chairntarE,. Scullin. Faudree, Cannon.
4 Vellis, Mcdaniel and Williams.
Court Stenographer Comings was
| resent TO take notes. There were
/ ,lso present number Of citizens, by
/ speical request of the mayor, among
hem being C. c. Terrell, John L. Par
| am, C. S. Carey, Phil G. Barclay and
i. b. Magee.
The mayor stated that the meeting
haA been called because OF the story
4 shlch had appeared in The Bulletin
| yesterday morning. accusing Officers
! Wade and Johnson of conspiracy as
above stated
The first witness called was Coro-
ner McManus. who related the cir
/ cumstances of the murder. and how
he found that the theory Of suicide
4 was aisproven He said Witnesses
i before the coroner's jury had told of
| seeing man running away from the
scene of the murder shortly after they
mad heard pistol shot in the house;
that the prisoner had denied all
4 knowledge of the affair, that JOSH
i White and his wife had been very
nervous when giving their testimony,
| which had aroused his suspicious at
the time; that ON Sunday the day fol-
lowing the inquest and verdict by the
| iury holding Calhoun for the murder,
while at police headquarters, the lat
ter had requested q private interview
with him and had made confession
TO him in which he implicated the
Whites in the murder. The DR.. read
the confession which had been writ
ten and signed by the negro.
Calhoun was present having been
brought down by Sheriff Nellis t.
make bis statement to the commit
100. He admitted that he had signe'
he statement read by Dir. McManu'
1ut said it was untrue; that ne has
made ii because of threats made L
: him by Officers Wade anu johnson
:, who came to him late Saturday nigh
cursed him saying that he had toll
lie before the coroner's jury, tina
they knew Josh White and his wifi
y were implicated in the murder, an
: hat he calhoun must say that the
. were or he would be mobbed, the mo
being outside the jail now ready I
, hang him. Officer Johnson placed
: pistol against his neck saying h
= would kill him then and there If h
!. did not agree to make statement in
plicating the Whites. He said pos
!, lively Wade and Johnson were thel
}, together: that both were abusiv
eursing and threatening him; he WI
q alone in one of the wooden cells ;
Il the time, and under the abuse an
Threats thus made he had agreed
~ make the statement requested Of hir
~ FL would say anything they told n
n. Ito save my life for little while
II said he. He had been taken out
IS. the cell Saturday evening into Il
az little room (which is the chief
nd officel and had been questioned the
by the chief who also had cursed hi
q and called him liar. When Jail
he Lutz put him into the cell for Il
tv night he said Get in there and you
ill see ghosts tonight"
ire The negro's story was brought o
lin part by questions from membe
err II the committee and when he h
ex. told ii all volley Of aqueries W
iet-I fred at him from all sides seeming
pil IN an effort to break him down. or
meImake him contradict himself. Me
de- bers OF the committee showed plalI
les that they did not believe the neg
ons and wished in every way possible
me liscredt his story
ses The police record showing wh'
II )fficers reported from was brous
VIII Up and it showed that Officer Wa
age vas not on duty that night.
rial showed that Officer Johnson was
me police headquarters at 1890 ..
els Saturday and at 1880 a. m sumo
hat each time bringing prisoners to
ued placed in Jail.
dye Many Contradictions.
SION Officers were called to tell th
Dive stories, with view to showing L
as the negro could not have told
iof truth Night Jailer Hoagland, CT
Cowell, Jailer Lutz. Night Serge
Nt