A. J. Ware was a justice of the peace who witnessed the lynching of Ed Johnson.
[Examination of A. J. Ware by Assistant Attorney General Sanford (6/11/1906).]
SANFORD: Did you see anybody put a noose around Johnson's neck?
WARE: I saw them when they tried to put the rope around his neck.
Q: Do you remember who did that?
A: No, Sir..
Q: Did you see who did that?
A: Did I see the man?
Q: Yes.
A: I saw when it was being done.
Q: Did you recognize the man?
A: No, I cannot say that I did.
Q: Did you think you recognized him at the time?
A: Well, I thought I knew, but I would not be sure.
Q: Who was that?
A: Do you want facts or just my ideas about it?
Q: You know whether you recognized him or not, of course.
A: I thought I did, but I will not say I did....
Q: What is your best impression as the man who put the noose around Johnson's neck?
A: I thought I recognized one of the parties as Nick Nolan.
Q: One of the parties that was putting the noose around Johnson's neck?
A: That had hold of the rope.
Q: What does Nick Nolan do?
A: I think he runs a bar.
Q: How long have you known him?
A: I've known him for some time.
Q: Did you see anybody fire bullets into him?
A: Yes. I saw some men shoot him.
Q: Who was that?
A: I don't know who it was.
Q: Who did you recognize as the man?
A: I thought it was Luther Williams.
Q: How long have you known Luther Williams?
A: I have known him for 4 or 5 years....
Q: How close were you when the noose was being put around his neck?
A: I was as close as I am to that table (indicating).
Q: When you saw the man you thought was Luther Williams was shooting, how close were you to him?
A: I was probably as far as from here to the radiator over there.
Q: How far are you from the radiator now, in your judgment?
A: 22 or 23 feet....
Q: What time was he hung?
A: I think it was between 10:30 and 11 o'clock.
Q: How many people went out to the lynching, would you say, altogether?
A: Right at the time I do not think there were over 50 or 75 people there.
Q: How many were actually helping in the lynching and how many were just looking on?
A: It did not look to me that there were over 10 or 12 taking an active part.