法律英语The Trial of Sheriff Joseph Shipp et alWord文档下载推荐.docx
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法律英语The Trial of Sheriff Joseph Shipp et alWord文档下载推荐.docx
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TheTurn-of-the-CenturyLynchingthatLaunchedaHundredYearsofFederalism.Now,withthesuccessofContemptofCourt——andamoviebasedonthebookintheplanningprocess——,itappearsthattheShipptrialmayassumeitsrightfulplaceasoneofthefamoustrialsinAmericanhistory.
INVESTIGATIONOFTHERAPEOFNEVADATAYLOR
TheShipptrialhasitsrootsinarapethattookplaceonadarkJanuaryeveningin1906theSt.ElmodistrictofChattanooga.Ablondandbeautifultwenty-one-yearoldnamedNevadaTaylorleftherbookkeepingjobindowntownChattanoogaabout6:
00p.m.onMonday,January23.Sheboardedanelectrictrolleyforthetwenty-minuteridetothestationnearthebaseofLookoutMountain.Steppingoffthetrolleyatthestationnear35thstreet,Taylorbegantheshortwalktoherhome,acottageinForestHillsCemeterywhereherfatherwasthegroundskeeper.Assheapproachedthecemeterygate,shefeltherthroatgrabbedfrombehindandavoicesay,“Ifyouscream,Iwillkillyou.”Theattack——whichleftTaylorunconscious——lastedonlytenminutes.
Taylorregainedconsciousness,walkedtheonehundredyardstoherhome,andtoldherfatheroftheattack.Taylor'
sfathercalledSheriffShipp,whogatheredbloodhoundsanddeputies,thenrushedoffinahorse-drawncarriagetoTaylor'
shome.AsShippconsoledWilliamTaylor,adoctorarrivedtoexaminedhisdaughter.Aftercompletinghisinvestigation,thedoctorreportedtheheartbreakingnews:
Nevadahadbeenraped.
ShippaskedTaylorwhatshecouldrememberoftheattack.Shecouldn'
trecallmuch,buttoldtheSheriffwasalittlebelowaverageheight,hadmusculararms,andworeablackoutfitandahat,andhad“asoft,kindvoice.”Shippasked,“WasthemanwhiteorNegro?
”Tayloransweredthatshewasn'
tsure——shehadn'
tgottenagoodlookathim——,thensaidshethoughthewasblack.
Thepressuretomakeanarrestwasintense.Shipppubliclyannouncedanawardof$50forinformationleadingtothearrestandconvictionofTaylor'
sattacker.Taylor'
semployeradded$50more,thentheGovernorputofanother$200.WithadditionalcontributionsfromSt.Elmoareresidentstherewardpotgrewto$375——averysubstantialsumin1906.
IttookthreedaysfortheShipptomakeanarrest.AninvestigationofthecrimesceneshortlyaftertherapeturnedupablackleatherstrapthatperfectlymatchedredstreaksaroundTaylor'
sneck.OnThursday,WillHixon,amanwhoworkedatamedicinecompanynearthecemeteryreportedthathehadseenablackman“twirlingaleatherstraparoundhisfinger”shortlybefore6p.m.ontheeveningoftherape.HixoncalledShipplatertosaythathehadjustseenthatsameblackmanwalkingnorthtowardtownwithatallblackman.Findingthetallblackmanalone,Shipplearnedthathiscompanion——andnowprimesuspect——wasadrifterandsometimescarpenternamedEdJohnson.Withinhours,ShippspottedJohnsonridingonthebackofanicewagon.Johnsonwashandcuffed,broughttojail,andidentifiedbyHixonasthemanhehadseenwiththestrapbySt.Elmostation.
WordofJohnson'
sarrestspreadquickly.Thateveningalargecrowd——manycarryingguns——gatheredinfrontoftheHamiltonCountyJail.Bulletswerefiredintothesky.NevadaTaylor'
syoungerbrotheraddsfueltothefireinabriefspeechhedeliverstothemob:
“Thetimeforjusticeandpunishmenthascome.WewanttheNegro.Hemustbepunishedforwhathedidtomysister.”SoononememberofthemobsteppedforwardtotellCaptainGeorgeBrown,secondincommandatthejail,thathewouldallowfiveminutesforsomeonetoturnoverthekeysorhewouldleadaviolentassaultonthejail.Nokeysweredelivered.Leadersofthemobgrabbedasteelpostandbeganrammingitagainstthefrontdoor.Othersinthemobtookovertheelectricplant,throwingthejailintodarkness.Menstolesledgehammersfromanearbyblacksmithshopandstartedworkingonhingesoftheheavydoor.
Thejailsustainedheavydamagefromtheattack,buttherewastobenolynchingofEdJohnson——atleastnotyet.DeputiesandmembersofTroopBoftheNationalGuard——orderedtothescenebyGovernorCox——arrivedatthejail.Agroupofdeputiessucceededingrabbingawaythesledgehammers.Minuteslater,JudgeSamuelMcReynoldsshowedup.“Thejuryisin,Judge,wefindhimguiltyandsentencehimtohangbytheneckuntildead,”onemaninthecrowdannounces.McReynoldsreplied,“Gohome.”Thenthejudgetoldthecrowdthatthemantheywerelookingforwasnotinthejail,thathehadbeensenttoKnoxvilleafewhoursearlier.(Infact,JohnsonhadbeensenttoNashville.)McReynoldsofferedtoletfivemenfromthedisbelievingcrowdinspectthejail:
“Seeforyourselfheisnotthere.”Afteracell-by-cellsearch,thefivechosenmentoldthecrowdthatthejudgewasright:
Johnsonwasgone.
NevadaTaylortraveledtoNashvillethenextdayandidentified——thoughnonetoocertainly——Johnsonasherattacker.Thatsameday,JudgeMcReynoldsconvenedagrandjury.McReynoldstoldthegrandjurorsthat“Suchoutragesasthismusthavetheimmediateattentionofthelaw.”TheJohnsoncasewasonafasttrack.HamiltonCountyDistrictAttorneyMattWhitakerpersuadedthegrandjurytoreturnanindictmentinlessthantwohours.Thenextmorning,JudgeMcReynoldsappointedthreelocalattorneystorepresentJohnsoninhisupcomingtrial:
LewisShepperd(Chattanooga'
smostprominentdefenseattorney),W.G.M.Thomas,andRobertCameron.McReynoldstoldthelawyersthattheJohnsontrialcouldbegininlessthanaweek.FormanyinChattanooga,eventhatwastoolongtowait.SomeventedtheirfrustrationsbythreateningJohnson'
slawyers.
W.G.M.Thomasawokeoneeveningtothesoundofrockscrashingthroughhiswindows.
EDJOHNSONTRIALANDAPPEALS
TheJohnsontrialopenedonTuesday,February6.ThefirstprosecutionwitnesswasNevadaTaylor.Taylordescribedtheattackandidentifiedtheleatherstrapusedbyherassailant.ProsecutorWhitakerthenaskedTaylorifthemanwhoattackedherwaspresentinthecourtroom.“Ibelieveheistheman,”saidTaylor,pointingtoEdJohnson.AftertestimonywasgivenbythedoctorwhoexaminedTaylor,WhitakercalledWillHixontothestand.Hixontoldjurorsthathe“sawthedefendantwithastrapinhishand……nearthesceneofthecrime.”HixonclaimedJohnson'
sfacewasilluminatedbytwoelectriccarspassingCemeteryStation:
“Isawhisfacewellandcouldnotbemistakeninit.”SheriffShipptestifiednext,recountinghisinvestigationandtheeventsleadingtoJohnson'
sarrest.Shipptestifiedthatatthesheriff'
sofficeinNashville,Johnson“raisedhisvoicetoahigherpitch”inattempttopreventTaylorfromidentifyingherastheattacker.TwoofShipp'
sdeputieswerecalledforbrieftestimony,thenWhitakerannounced,“Thestaterests.”
ThefirstwitnessforthedefensewasEdJohnson.Speakingin“astrangevoice,”graspingthearmsofthewitnesschairwithhishands,JohnsonstronglydeniedhavingattackedNevadaTaylor.JohnsonsaidhespenttheeveningofJanuary23workingasapoolroomporterattheLastChanceSaloon,arrivingaround4:
30andstayinguntilabout10:
00.ThirteenwitnessesfollowedJohnsontothestand,eachswearingthathehadseenJohnsonattheLastChancearoundthetimehewasallegedlyinacemeteryrapingNevadaTaylor.ThenthedefensemovedontoanattackonthecredibilityofWillHixon.HarveyMcConnell,describedbypapersasarespected“old-timeNegro,”testifiedthattwodaysaftertherape,HixonhadaskedhimaboutablackmandoingsomeroofingworkatachurchinSt.Elmo.McConnellsaidHixonaskedhimtheman'
sname.WhenMcConnelltoldhimthemanwasEdJohnson,HixonaskedhimforaphysicaldescriptionofJohnson.LewisShepherdthencalledhisco-counsel,
W.G.M.Thomas,tothestandtorecountameetinghearrangedbetweenHixonandMcConnell.AccordingtoThomas,whenMcConnell“repeatedthesamestoryweheardheretoday”toHixon,Hixon“hunghisheadverylow”andutterednowordofdenial.
ThemostdramaticeventoftheJohnsontrialoccurredonitsthirdandlastday.Attherequestofjurors,NevadaTaylorwasrecalledtothestand.JurorJ.L.WrennstoodandaskedTaylor,“MissTaylor,canyoustatepositivelythatthisNegroistheonewhoassaultedyou?
”Tayloranswered,“Iwillnotswearheistheman,butIbelieveheistheNegrowhoassaultedme.”Wrenn,stillnotsatisfied,askedagain:
“InGod'
sname,MissTaylor,telluspositively——isthattheguiltyNegro?
Canyousayit?
Canyouswearit?
”Withtearsstreamingdownherfaceandinaquiveringvoice,Taylorreplied,“Listentome.Iwouldnottakethelifeofaninnocentman.ButbeforeGod,IbelievethisistheguiltyNegro.”AtthatpointanotherjurorroseandlungedinthedirectionofJohnson.Ashewasrestrainedbyfellowjurors,heshoutedout,“IfIc
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