Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-12-26
JOHNSON LYNCHED
Brooklyn Lookup Unprotected
Guards Gone and Mob Drags
Accused Murderer From
Jail.
WAS SHOT TO DEATH.
No Clue to Party-Lynchers Guard
Secret-Deed Done Quietly.


Activity aplenty is manifested today
by the officials of Anne Arundel county,
whose headquarters are in this city,
and who, by their busy actions, rather
than by anything they stopped to say,
indicate that they will leave no stone
unturned to get to the bottom of the
lvnching of King Johnson, who was
taken out of the lookup at Brooklyn
yesterday morning and shot to death
by mob.
With the grand jury scheduled to
re-assemble on Thursday of this week,
States Attorney Green and Sheriff
Beasley, are working like Turks to
gather strong evidence to present to
that body, and there is every indica-
tion that the wheels of justice will
move rather more swiftly than has
been The case n the past when lynch
ing occurred in Anne Arundel between
regular terms IF court.
The grand jury was ordered last
week to re-as semble for the purpose
of considering the case of Albert Ty-
Ter, the Eastport wife murderer. who
is now in the county jai here. How
ever, the Brooklyn lynching case will
be presented for its consideration
as soon as the Tyler case is com
pleted, according to present expecta-
tions.
Mr.. Green and Sheriff Beasley lost
no time this morning in getting to
work. These two conferred together
and then held a long consultation with
Judge Brashears of the Circuit Court.
Following this consultation, the
States Attorney went to the jail
and there spent "a long time with
Reedbird Chase, the colored man
who was a witness to the shooting
of Schwab, in revenge for whose
killing Johnson was lynched, and who
had narrow escape from being
taken out by the mob in mistake for
the man they were after.
Chase was brought to Annapolis yes
terday and lodged in the county Jail,
where he now is. Up to the present
time he has refused to chan ye his tes-
timony before the Brooklyn coroner's
jury, to whom he swore he heard moth
ing of the getting of Johnson, who
was in the cell neyt to him. How
ever, it is thought that now he is
safely away from the easily entered
Brooklyn lookup, and behind bars
which will protect him for a time at
lest, he will possibly remember some
of the things that went on when the
other colored man was lynched. What
he has to say will be the main clue
that the authorities now have to pre-
sent to the grand jury when it meets
Thursday.
At O'Clock yesterday morning,
Brooklyn Jail, this county, was broken
into by band of eight white men
and King Johnson the colored man
otherwise known as King Davis, ac-
cused of the murder of Frederick A.
Scwhab, white, over a game of pool
Saturday night was dragged from the
lookup and lynched
The jail was unguarded Although
it is fianked on both sides by houses,
in one Of which policeman was sleep.
ing, the mcb found it easy to break
the lock from the back door and enter.
Johnson and Hubert Chase, also
colored, who was being held as a wit.
ness against him, were in cells up
stairs.
In the darkness of early morning
the mob almost mistook Chase fol
Johnson, and would have probably
lynched the wrong man, but for the
appeals of Chase. The lock wa!
forced off with an iron bar and throw
ing back the door, the men crowded
into the small cell. One had an 1S
foot piece of clothesline, with a noos,
already made in it. They tried to slil
the loop over Johnson's neck and hans
him to the iron ceiling Of the cell.
Johnson fought for his life and il
his frenzy scratched and struck a
some of the men. He was finall,
forced into a corner and beaten owe
the head with the iron bar until un
conscious. They dragged his bod,
down the stairs, out of thej Jail ant
two hundred yards over a field, unit
they came to new road known a
Second avenue. Here the negro wa
thrown over small embankment Jam
one of the men fred four shots int
| his body at such close range that tn
powder burned his coat. The shot
all penetrated his right hung AM
caused death.
The body was discovered at quartz
1 of six yesterday morning. A jur,
was summoned and Justice Potee AM
| Coroner Brookes called a number o
those who lived near the Jail, all sal
they heard nothing but shots and tha
they thought these had been fired b.
night revelers. Chase repeated, un
der oath, his denial of knowing wha
had transpired. The jury brought in
verdict of death by bullet wouds fire
by unknown person or persons.
Chief Irwin said he had no clues t
the identity of those in the mob an
that he was doing all he could to ge
evidence upon which to act. He cor
ferred with States Attorney Green, o
this city, over the telephone and sa'
him here today. At Fairfield, tn
home Of Schwab, white residents ez
| nrassed M svpona+hv for Johnsor