Killing of Claude Otis Johnson in Mississippi in 1953
Incident
Claude Otis Johnson (1919 - 1953), a tenant farmer, was killed by justice of the peace John Thomas in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Thomas, a store owner, claimed that Johnson hit him during a dispute over a $37.50 grocery bill. As Johnson left the store, Thomas grabbed his gun, followed Johnson and shot him. He alleged that Johnson attacked him. Thomas was indicted, tried and acquitted in state court. There were no federal proceedings. An essay on this case, researched and authored by a CRRJ student, is available on request.
Memphis 44-284
New Orleans 44-520
Bureau 44-5993
144-40-70
death certificates
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : May 3, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 27, 1953
- Journalism: 2017-00718-JOHNSON Claude Otis (1049263054)
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 29, 1968
- News article from the McComb Enterprise-Journal about a justice of the peace found not guilty by a Bolivar County circuit court jury of the murder of Claude Otis Johnson : November 2, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 30, 1953
- News article from the Bolivar Commercial regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : May 1, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 22, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the shooting death of Claude Otis Johnson : April 27, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the hearing and exoneration of the justice of the police who shot Claude Otis Johnson : April 29, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise-Journal about possible federal court action in the case of a former policeman and justice of the peace shooting Claude Otis Johnson and about his exoneration following a the hearing before a fellow justice of the peace : September 9, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : March 21, 1938
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 28, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 8, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 28, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 29, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the federal grand jury returning no indictment in the case against the justice of the people who fatally shot Claude Otis Johnson : September 22, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about witness testimony in the Bolivar County circuit court trial for the justice of the people charged with the fatal shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 30, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 29, 1953
- News article from Delta Democrat-Times about attorney Howard Dyer Jr. withdrawing his assistance to the state in prosecuting justice of the peace John Thomas : October 29, 1968
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : May 4, 1953
- News article from the McComb Daily Enterprise about the arrest and investigation of Philistine Harris charged with killing Jessie Patrick : March 21, 1938
- News article from the Bolivar Commercial about the shooting death of Claude Otis Johnson by a justice of the peace : May 1, 1953
- News article from the Yazoo City Herald about justice of the peace John Thomas's acquittal of charges of assaulting and beating Jimmie Isenhood : July 9, 1937
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the adjournment of the federal grand jury investigation into civil rights violations in the shooting death of Claude Otis Johnson : September 20, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 7, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : November 1, 1953
- Journalism: 2017-00718-JOHNSON Claude Otis (1049263054)
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : November 1, 1953
- Journalism: 2017-00718-JOHNSON Claude Otis (1049263054)
- News article from the McComb Enterprise-Journal about the acquittal of a justice of the peace charged with the murder of Claude Otis Johnson in hearing before a fellow justice of the peace : April 29, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : November 2, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about two witnesses to the shooting death of Claude Otis Johnson : April 28, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 20, 1953
- News article from an unidentified newspaper regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : January 20, 1934
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 28, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 6, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 16, 1953
- News article from the United Press about the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 27, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 29, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 30, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 29, 1953
- Journalism: 2017-00718-JOHNSON Claude Otis (1049263054)
- News article from the Semi-Weekly Journal about the attempted arrest and fatal shooting of Jewell Smith by policeman John Thomas : September 12, 1931
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the results of a justice of the peace hearing in which another justice of the people was exonerated in the slaying of Claude Otis Johnson : April 28, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 29, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the federal court investigation into the shooting death of Claude Otis Johnson : September 7, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 28, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : August 1, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about witnesses notified to appear before a federal grand jury investigating the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson by a justice of the people, who was exonerated in a hearing before another justice of the peace : September 6, 1953
- News article from the Semi-Weekly Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 12, 1931
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the selection of jurors and bailiffs for the Bolivar County circuit trial of a justice of the peace in the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : October 29, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 16, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about the arraignment and trial of the justice of the people charged with the murder of Claude Otis Johnson : October 28, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about Mississippi's Attorney General discussing the Bolivar County grand jury trial of the fatal shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : May 3, 1953
- News article from the Yazoo Herald regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : July 9, 1937
- Journalism: 2017-00718-JOHNSON Claude Otis (1049263054)
- News article from the McComb Enterprise-Journal about the justice of the peace charged in the fatal shooting of Claude Otis Johnson and the man's past indictments for violent altercations and shooting deaths : April 28, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise-Journal about an editorial published in the Greenville Democrat-Times about the hearing before a justice of the people regarding the fatal shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : May 4, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about a federal grand jury investigation into the fatal shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 16, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times about a justice of the peace found not guilty by a Bolivar County jury of the murder of Claude Otis Johnson : November 1, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : September 8, 1953
- News article from the Delta Democrat-Times regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 28, 1953
- News article from the McComb Enterprise Journal regarding the shooting of Claude Otis Johnson : April 29, 1953
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