The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-10-31
fled to the high character Of Judge
Johnson as Judge and man.
Judge Joinson,s Testimony.

!
With manner that was calm, dis
passionate. dignified but intensely
earnest, Judge johnson took the stand
voluntarily, after all other parties de-
string to be heard or who had respond
ed to the committees summons, had
finished and the committee was ready
to adjourn. Taking up the Clarke
charges, one by one, in an unequivocal
manner he answered each, concluding
with similar treatment of all direct
and implied charges that had been
filed in Hattiesburg or that had crept
into the record through the statements
of those who had testified during the
hearing.
Declaring that in taking the stand to
testify in his own behalf he neither
desired or expected any immunity, but
that he would continue to court the
most searching inquiry into both his
official and private life, Judge John
son, with the document containing the
Clarke charges in hand, said the
charge that he boosted of having con-
trol Of the court and all connected
herewith" is untrue.
The charge of arbitrary treatment
of three jurors who had hung up
jury in the Laurel court, lis untrue"
said the Judge. The three jurors
were afterwards objected to by the
district attorney, who declined to &C.
cept them on any other criminal case
during the week.
The charge that he used the express
sion Cd the law" when speaking
of certain case, lis also untrue. |
never used such language in my life,"
said Judge Johnson.
He explained the charge of ruling
in and then ruling out, of certain ex-
hibit in the Williams case, tried at
Laurel, as the result in the first place
of his belief in the correction of the
of Hon. Barney Eaton, of
counsel for the prosecution, when at
the time the district attorney had ad-
mitted that the document should have
been excluded. In ordering it's ex-
he was acting upon subse-
1ioht
inquiry into the law, and before the
case had been submitted finally to the
jury.
AS to the Hammond case the wit
ness said that since the committee
had Mr.. Hammond's own letter in
which he disclaimed any desire to
appear at the inquiry, and admitted
that he had learned that he was wrong
as to what his witness said, further |
comment was now unnecessary.
In the matter in which B. w. Shar- |
lrough felt aggrieved because of the |
alleged failure of the Court to continue |
N"oN' "uuSO JOhhSOll odlu MI OudI-
trough was mistaken. Speaking of /
Mr.. Sharbrough's unkind feeling for /
lin, Judge Johnson said it began
1T the first court he held at Laurel, !
when he had imposed a fine of $25 .
afterwards RENTED on promise of !
good behavior) because SCARBOROUGH,
Turing speech in court, told dirty i
oke" while the court room was full of !
.eople, including a number of ladies'.
AS to the Oliver Rodgers real estate
ieal, witness thought that had been
ully and satisfactorily explained by
Mr. Davis and others who knew the /
acts; adding that Oliver Rodgers tes-
imony on this subject is correct. AS
o any decker by which Rodgers was
o gain special favors of the Court,
that is not true; Rodgers never spoke
o me after he was arrested until he
vas arraigned in open court" |
He denied having characterized a
ertain verdict as 1.-THE most damnable
erdict ever heard"
Speaking of the charge of favoritism
o ]. E. Davis, Judge Johnson said Mr..
Davis is his friend, but that he had
ever asked him to do a thing that
vas wrong and likewise Davis had
ever asked him to do a thing that
vas wrong, cor we would not now be
riends."
Explaining the matter mentioned by
Iollis, when the Court had released
Iollis after Davis had stated aside in
he court room that he had as police
lstice determined there was nothing
l the case on which to convict Hollis,
lie Judge said that Duncan Draughn
ad asked for nolpros, which was ,
OF granted at first, but after Davis,
no was not the attorney for Hollis Z
ad made explanation mentioned, he !