The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-09-26
ATTEMPT TO SHOOT JOHNSON
CAUSED BY ACTIVITIES OF
Law AND ORDER IEACuERS
Root Who Fired at Attorney Leader In Dry Forces OF
Hagerstown-Lawyer Resented Charges Against Pro-
fessional Integrity Will Prosecute Barberto
Limit for Action-History Brought Out.

The shooting affair In Attorney Hem
ry U. Johnson's office Tuesday affair
noon was chapter in the story Of a.
Law and Order Leagues operations n
Hagerstown.
johnson was shot at by q. e. Root
Hagerstown barber. who Is one Of
the members of the Law and oYde1
League.
Two stories Of the affair are tolds
They differ on minor points but they
agree on the chief ones.
Johnson claims that Root shot at
him, In an effort to wound him, wheH
he attempted to eject him from his OF.
flee.
Says Twas Fired In TussIe.
Root claims he drew the pistol to
frighten Johnson and it was fired In
the tussel which followed.
The shooting occurred Tuesday aft.
ernoon and Wednesday morning Sher.
iff Carr went to Hagerstown with
warrant for Roots arrest. The war
rant, which charges assault with in
tent to kill, was issued by Prosecutor
cute to the limit.
Root was arrested, but released on
$4,000 bond furnished by his brother
and George Harlan.
Root with George Harlan, Hagers-
town merchant and member of the
Law and Order league, and Rev. G.. w.
Gruber, pastor of the Hagerstown
| Methodist church, went to Johnson's
office Tuesday to consult him on an
alleged blind tiger case in which he
had been retained to assist Prosecutor
Strayer.
Root, 1t Is claimed, accused johnson
| Of selling out to the other side," rep
resented by Jack" Davis, whom the
| League was seeking to prosecute on
| the blind tiger charge.
Orders Root to Leave.
This reflection on his professional.
honor stirred Johnson and he ordered
Root to leave his office.
Root demurred, both sides admit,
and then Johnson laid a hand on his.
coat sleeve and attempted to direct
| his movements.
Root drew his pistol Here the stor.
les diverge.
He claims he did It merely to fright
en- Johnson and only after Johnson
| Sd1u- L QOu want 10 nave 10 use a
[ weapon on you"
| Johnson claims he made this re-
mark but only after Root had exhibit
ed the pistol.
After the pistol appeared Root and
Johnson tussled, the gun being dts
charged in the contest The ball went
over Johnson's shoulder and lodged in
door SILL
| The three men then left the office.
The affair is a result of the efforts
Of the league to prosecute Davis, who
| formerly was a Hagerstown saloonist-
| Arranged for Raid.
Prosecutor Strayer was appealed to
last May to assist the league. He lent!
| the machinery Of his office and to-
gether with Sheriff Carr and the Hag-
| erstown men arranged to raid the
Davis place in May.
| A thorough search Of the premises
was made and nothing but so-called'
1 "near-beer" found. This was sent to-
DR.. H. E. Barnard, of Indianapolis, for
analysis. 1t was found to contain.
! more than the legal amount of alcohol.
DR.. Barnard attributed this to fermen<
tation caused by faulty bottling at the,
! brewery. \
Inasmuch as ''near-beer'' Is a legal
commodity in dry territory and there
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