Johnny Ware

Page 816

“Question. Did yon not say that Johnny Ware was also with yon?

Answer. Well, he did come once. He came the third time.

Question. Ho was not there when yon went after Page?

Answer. Who?

Question. Ware?

Answer. Yes, sir; the time that they come and called for me to go after this Aleck Page, John Ware come.”

Pages 831-2

“By Mr. Blair:

Question. What parties were discharged on their own recognizances; all the white men?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. How many of them?

Answer. Fifteen, as I recollect, sir.

Question. How many were held?

Answer. Eight.

Question. What were the names of those held?

Answer. Mr. Crosby, Malone, Ware, two of the Studdarts, Whitfield Pope, and Plummer Willis.

Question. Was Andrew held?

Answer. No, sir; he was never prosecuted; he was a witness for the United States.

By the Chairman:

Question. He turned State’s evidence after his arrest?

Answer. He did not seem to know much; only that some disguised men came to his house; he never was arrested; I did not recognize him as a prisoner until I got there.

By Mr. Blair:

Question. Are those names yon give the men who were held?

Answer. Yes, sir; on tho five thousand dollar bond; tho others were discharged on their own recognizances in the sum of $500, with notice that they need not attend the Federal court until November; the idea was that the others would be tried, and, if convicted, they then would try the balance; bet if the eight against whom was the strongest testimony were discharged, as I understood, as their counsel, they would not molest the others at all.

Question. None of those men, then, were held against whom Joe Davis testified?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Which one?

Answer. Willis and Malone were two Davis swore to as being there, and Whitfield Pope, and Johnny Ware.

Question. Were they discharged?

Answer. No, sir; Davis swore they were present at the killing of Page.

By the Chairman:
Question. Were all these men held?

Answer. Yes, sir; they were held in $5,000 bonds.

By Mr. Blair:
Question. Was Jasper Webb held?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. And Thomas Malone?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Andrew Pope?

Answer. He was not held.
Question.‘Whitfield Pope?
Answer. Yes, sir; he was.
Question. Johnny Ware?
Answer. He was.”

Page 834

“Mr. Blair. He said they were the same men, so far as he knew; that Andrew Pope was with them, and Whitefield Pope, Jasper Webb, Malone, and Johnny Ware; that those men were present on each night that they went ont; he swears to them, and then he swears to Henry Hatch, and three other negroes, two of whom he says were democratic negroes.

The Witness. The two Willis negroes were democratic negroes, and so was Aleck Page; he had voted against the constitution and voted with us all the time, and was an open-mouthed, talking man.

Question. He says this Wamble was called out and shot six or seven times; and he said that the same men I have named to you were there; that he was present and held the horses, but he did not say he saw the shooting; he does not know whether they buried him; they were a smart while coming back to the horses where he was, after killing him; they did not do any other mischief that night. Now, you state that the distance between this place and where these parties lived was twenty-five miles?

Answer. The average distance from where he was killed to where Malone, Whitefield Pope, and Ware—who is a boy of nineteen, or possibly twenty—lived, was at least twenty-five miles. At that time the river was high between where they lived and where the negro was killed ; they lived on the east side of the Bigbee, the negro lived on the west side ; they lived in the sandy-land country, the negro in the black land or prairie land.”

Page 972-3

“Witness. Yes, sir. They had red gowns, and some had black and some had white concerns on their faces. The first time I was out with them was last March. They came to my house once or twice, or maybe three times, to get me to go out with them. I don’t know exactly the time it was the first time they passed by. When they came for me it was in March. They called me out, and asked me if I was in favor of the Klu-Klux. I said I was not. They took me along with them, and I went to Alex. Page’s with the band. I was there twice. The last time I was there was the 29th of March, on a Wednesday. They went after him and took him out. Among those who were there was Henry Hatch, (colored,) Jasper Webb, Thomas Malone, Andy Pope, Whitfield Pope, Johnny Ware, J. Plummer Willis, Jeff Willis, (colored,) Mike Forshee, (colored.) These were all that I knew in the band. There were more beside them. There was fifty or sixty there. I went there on a horse. It was one of Andy Pope’s horses. When I went out with them Webb, Malone, or Johnny Ware always gave me a horse. I don’t know who gave me the disguise. It was red and black. I had a face-mask and a red and black cap. We stopped the horses before we got close to Page’s, and I was left to hold the horses. They went to the house, and a young man came back to where I was standing and told me to go up into the house. I told them I did not want to go, but they told me I must go, and I went. They kindled up a fire on the hearth. Alex. Page was there at the bed when I went into the house. There was a piece of rope hanging up in the house, and they told me to take it and tie his hands with it. I said, ‘No,’ but they ordered me to do it. Page got up, and I tied his hands in front and then tied his arms. Andy Pope cut the bed cord and put the rope round Alex.’s neck and led him out. Then I saw one of them take a handkerchief and put it over his head and face, so as to blindfold him. They then brought him out of the house. I went back to the horses, and we all got on our horses and went down the road toward Athens, traveling east. I never lived up in that neighborhood. It was a sort of moon shining that night. I don’t know exactly bow long they traveled with him. They went toward Athens for two or three miles, and then carried him out into the woods. They halted and told me to secure the horses, and took Page further into the woods. They whipped him. I could hear them whipping him. I beard him making a great noise. They then came back and told me to go up into the woods, and I went and saw Alex. Page lying dead on the ground, with a rope around his neck and his hands tied. I don’t know what they did with him, as I did not see him till they had done killing him. They took me and another black fellow to look after the horses. I did not hear any pistols or guns fired off. I don’t know whether Page was shot or hung, but I should say he was hung. They staid long enough around there to dig a grave. I heard them say they had killed him after they came back to the horses. They called me and Henry Hatch to go up to the grave, and we took hold of him and put him in the grave. There was a good many took hold of him beside us. We then raked the dirt on him and then raked leaves on it. It was dark, and I don’t know how deep the grave was. There was a big log close by the grave. After we had buried the body we got on our horses and every one ” put out” for home. I wore a disguise. Johnny Ware, Tom Malone, and Jasper Webb gave it to me. I heard Alex. Page ask the men to let him pray before they killed him, but they would not allow him to do it. After they took him into the woods he said he wanted to see his wife, but they told him never to mind his wife now. Ho again asked them to let him pray, but they would not allow him. That is Jasper Webb, that is Tom Malone, that is J. Plummer Willis, that is Mike Forshee, that is Jeff Willis, [pointing to several of the defendants.] I don’t see Johnny Ware among these men.

Cross-examination: Cross-examined by Colonel Reynolds: All those I have just pointed out were there that night. When once I know a man I know him. I am from Lauderdale County. I came to Monroe five or six years ago. I have lived with Crosby all this year. I don’t know if any one would have known me. I don’t know that any one could tell who I was with my mask on, as it completely covered my face, and came down to my breast. The gown I had on came down to my knees. I don’t think I would have known Crosby if he had not spoken. I do not know that I would know his voice. Any one who wore that disguise could not be told except by his voice. Sometimes I could not see their faces, but I would know them by their voices. That was the only way I could tell who they were. They could not tell it was me unless I let them see my face. That is for certain; although they might think they knew me if I did not raise up my disguise. They would not know a man unless he talked. I could not tell them unless they gave me a sign to let me know who they were. I did not want to hurt Alex. Page, as we were good friends. Once before, when a knife was drawn on him, I went up and saved his life when no one would go and try to do it. The horses were left about a hundred yards from the house. I was out another time with them, but I don’t recollect the month, nor the day of the month, nor the day of the week. When they went up to the house and got in, some of them came back and told me to go up and tie Page. Henry Hatch was with me, holding tho horses. I don’t know how many was up there. I did not take any account of them, but there may have been fifteen or twenty. Mike Forsheo was with me down at the horses before they came for me to go to the house. He was not in the house when I got there. Andy Pope got the cord out of the bed to tie Page. He was not in bed when I got there. I never saw him in bed. I did not see him in his drawers. When the party came to Page’s they went pass John Wolfs house. I was disguised like the others. I did not know they had killed Page until they called me up to put him in his grave. I never told John Wolf where he was buried. I don’t know that John Wolf helped to put the body in the grave. I know that Henry Hatch and I put him in tho grave. They did not take off his wet clothes. I don’t know who all helped, but I know Henry Hatch and I put him in. They had all on long gowns. I did not see any hatchets or axes. I rode behind the party. I was the hindmost. They came for me to go out with them. They never taught me any Klu-Klux signs. They never taught me anything. They never showed me to put out my arm or to raise my leg for a signal. All through the day before we went out that night I was in the field plowing the corn-patch. I had had supper, and they came for me between 10 and 11 o’clock. Tom Malone, Whitfield Pope, and Johnny Ware came for me. They called mo out, and asked me if I was in favor of the Klu-Klux. I said. ‘No;’ and then they said I belonged to tho radical party, and to go slow. They had no disguise on then at that time. I don’t know where they kept their disguises. I went off with them, and went two miles before I put on my disguise. I went out north from my house along the road to Alex. Page’s house. The whole party met on the road and stopped and put on their disguses. Jasper Webb, Johnny Ware, Whitfield Pope, Andy Pope, Mike Forshee were all that went up with me that night. Jasper Webb, Whitfield Pope, and Johnny Ware left my house with me. I don’t know how deep the grave was. I helped to cover up the body. A short helve-hoe was all I had to work with, and to fill in the dirt. It was ten or fifteen minutes before I went back to the horses. I left before the filling in of the grave was finished. I did not see what the others were doing when we were putting him in the grave. He did not move, but looked as if he was dead. I did not go back to the grave. I don’t know what was done to the grave after I left. I did what I was ordered to do. I did not see any blood. The moon was shining, but the light was not good. I did not see Page’s face. I knew it was him, for did I not help to tie him and go along with him? I know it was him. I did not look for blood. It was dark. I saw no blood on the ground. I heard them say it was Alex. Page. I stooped right over and lifted him into the grave. I looked toward his head. I saw a rope round his neck. It was about half a yard long. We went along the road and then went into the woods, where they dug the grave. I don’t know that we went through a sage-field. If I had gone through it I would have known it. I don’t know where the sage-field was. I don’t know Captain Sykes. I have seen him several times, but I never saw him among the Klu-Klnx. I saw him in Aberdeen on the Main street, opposite the Commercial Hotel. He did not ask me if I knew who killed Alex. Page, or if I had ever seen a Klu-Klux. No, sir. I did not say to him that I did not know any more about tho killing of Alex. Page than the man in his grave.”

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Comments

Johnny Ware — 1 Comment

  1. Wow! What an article. Today, like many today, I resent that the Klu-Klux-Klan ever existed. I believe that it still exists today under updated modern means of security and clan names. But, that’s the way it was long ago. It’s part of American History. Court documents prove it.

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