The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-10-25
SENSATIONAL WERE
THE JOHNS CHARGES
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
PATTERSON NO BETTER THAN A
CHAINED CRIMINAL AT THE
STATE PRISON.
UNFIT TO HOLD STATE OFFICE
Duncan B. Cooper characterized As
An Assassin Without the Blush of
Shame-Other Charges Equally
Salty-Refers to Hilary Howse.

speech that has been heard in Colum.
bia for some time, not even except.
ing that of Gus Dyer at the opera
house few months ago, was that of
G. d. Johns at the court house Sat
urday afternoon Immediately follow
ing Harvey Hannah.
4 Mr. Johns is the well known ex
sheriff of Davidson county, and later
a defeated candidate for mayor of
the city of Nashville. He was at one
time member of the police force OF
the city, and has been connected Of
ficially one way and another around
the city several years, and like the
little by who had eaten the green ap-
pies, has managed to get great deal
of inside information. Some Of this
information has been as painful to
Mr.. Johns as 1t was to the little boy,
and he is telling it in such plain
unvarnished way that it is calculated
to become painful, or at least annoy
ing, to others.
/ Circulars had been distributed on
J the streets and around the business
portion of the city stating that the
bridal was off and that the speaker
was going to tell some interesting
i things.
| The first thing Mr.. Johns did was
to relieve all political organizations
and individuals of any responsibility
for his presence. but said he came to
speak along purely political lines, for
Il have some talk that has never been
talked" Those who heard Hannah
had very nearly all remained, but
when the speaker stated that Mr..
Hannah had not mentioned the issue
and that the issue was Pattersonism,
there was an influx set in that for a
few moments threatened the disinte-
grafton Of his audience, and when a
few minutes later he said, II will not
associate with that Patterson crowd"
speaking with reference to certain
politicians around Nashville the tail
end of the flushed covey went out,
stating 1T is time for us to go"
By this time others were coming
in and there were no more depart
ures until the close of the speech
which lasted more than an hour.
Mr.. Johns charged that McMillin
was for Patterson, because the latter
held the balance of power necessary
for the election of the former, if he
. should be elected at all, and that Nc
Millin dare not open his mouth
against Patterson on that account.
/ The speaker in the most scathing
language arraigned Hilary Howse,
I Dune Cooper and M. R. Patterson.
He said Hilary Howse was morally
unfit to be the mayor of a great city
like ville-that he stood for more
whisky, more gambling and more
other evils. He said Dune Cooper
was worse than the Jews who nailed
the Christ to the cross, and after
ward had to find a Moses to lead
them out of hondage-he found his
Moses (Patterson( before he found
his man; and that he was an assas-
sin and walked the streets of Nash
willie without the blush of shame. He
said practically everyone knew what
Patterson would do, and while the
public was outraged it was not sur
prised at the pardon, and that pat
terson is no more fit to hold office in
Tennessee than the worst chained
criminal in the state prison"
Referring to the race for mayor Mr..
Johns said Howse and others
sent state senator to him
with an offer of $1,000 in cash and a
guarantee of an election to the office
of county court clerk, il he would get
out of the race. The speaker went
into details of this alleged offer NAM
ing persons and citing places in con-
nection with it. He explained that
his interview, "The Scales Fallen
From His Eyes," given out two years
ago was for the purpose of gaining
condolences, which was accomplished
and that he had always been for the
present temperance laws.
Closing his speech Mr.. Johns stated
that more Of the details of the sensa-
tional charges which he had made
could be found in his book on the
subject, which could be obtained from
him or his agent.
The speaker said that he would
make the same charges In the city
of Nashville in less than three
weeks.
Harsh physics react weaken the