Atlanta Georgian., 1913-03-12
Regular Investigation
Will Be Welcomed by
His sDepartment, Says
Chief mo Gossip To
Be Allowed.
"Stories Spread by John
son Are Falsehoods in
Every Respect, Circu-
lated for Spite" Says
Lieutenant Oliver.

William II. Johnson. former county
policeman, today demanded complete
investigation into his charges of rot
tenness" against Chief Zach Rowan. of
the county police. and the entire county
police force.
Johnson will find his demand has al
ready been complied with. In declaring
that Rowan and his staff are incompe-
tent, Johnson says today he has the
facts to prove it. These he will fird ne
can offer at the probe which will prob
ably be opened Monday. when Chair
man w. Tom Witt, of the county polics
committee. returns to the city.
The most startling declaration OF
johnson today is that he will go before
the grand jury at once and demand the
Indictment of Lieutenant Oliver and
Officer Jackson on charges of assault
with intent to murder. growing out o
the alteration between Johnson ano
oliver yesterday in the grand jury room.
at the court house. in which Lohnsor
declared he was maced and brutal
maltreated after deliberate plot" had
been laid
THE whole affair is petty politics
nothing more or less is the heated
declaration of Chief Zach Rowan. Of
the county police force, today.
This man Johnson is after nv scalp,
He has been after it for years. He
will keep after 1t until he is squelched.
He came into his job with the avowe6
purpose of getting mine. To date n.
has not succeeded. Nor will he sue
ceed. His whole statement is bluff ana
oluster pure and simple. He is lust
pettyfogging politician hiding behind
the clouds Of sensation which he has
caused to be thrown about the de
partment. We invite any regular inves-
legation of this matter. But we will
take the stand that Johnson must pro
duce facts. None of his gossip will be
tolerated. Facts we want and will
have. As / have said, this is just an
effort on Johnson's part to further his
own interests. He doesn't realize that
the campaign for the office of chief of
the county police is ended"
Charges Made Before.
Chief Zack Rowan declared that
Johnson several times in the past yeaI
has threatened to make charges against
him and the men under him, but has
failed to do so. The chief declared that
Johnson had been invited to make the
charges public, but to date Johnson hao
not made good.
Johnson. on the other hand. stated
that he had just been awaiting a prop
er time for his expose. He declared
that now his time had come and that
he would at once made public the full
facts concerning the case
The whole county police force is rot
ten is his striking declara tion.
Johnson says the fight, which he saws
has caused him to make public his
charges and which will later lead te
an investigation, came about after he
had charged that Lieutenant Oliver
had taken a married woman to din
ner in a downtown cafe. Lieutenant
Oliver branded Johnson's charges a.
false
Johnson said, Il was decoyed into
the grand jury room and beaten up by
a county OI1CeE dnu, HnulnB LnaL
could not defend myself, | tried fo1
help. officer Jackson stood by and
saw the beating administered, bat he
made no move to stop It,"
Lieutenant Oliver explained hts ver-
sion of the affair, saying:
II called Johnson into the grand jury
room and asked him what he meant by
telling lies on me. Johnson picked up g.
chair and made a move to knock me
down. | grappied with him in order
to defend myself"
Neither OF the men was arrested
when court room attaches reached the
scene of battle Bailiffs. hearing John
sons cry for help, it is said, broke the
lock on the grand jury room door
rushed into the room and separated the
men. but made no effort to detain
Continued on Page Two.