King Johnson
MSA SC 3520-13760
Lynched in Brooklyn, Maryland, December 25, 1911
Biography:
King Johnson, alias King Davis, was lynched December 25, 1911, in Brooklyn,
Maryland. The 28-year-old African American, originally from St. Mary's County, resided in the Fairfield community of
Anne Arundel County. The incident occurred after Johnson shot and killed Frederick Schwab,
a 29-year-old blacksmith who also lived in the Fairfield area. The episode occurred after a verbal confrontation
between Johnson and Frederick Schwab's brother, Frank, over a game of pool. Upon leaving a saloon, Johnson was approached by Frederick
Schwab. Schwab was upset that Johnson allegedly called his brother several
vile names during the argument. Johnson reported that he
feared Frederick Schwab due to previous encounters. When
Frederick Schwab struck him, Johnson brandished a pistol and fired several shots at Schwab.
The first shot hit Schwab in the chest, killing him instantly. The next two shots
were fired at Frank Schwab, over his brother's fallen body. Testimony from eyewitnesses, however, report that
they did not see anyone strike Johnson directly.1
Frank Schwab returned to the saloon where the argument
occurred. He called Chief Irwin of the Anne Arundel County Police and King Johnson was later arrested, along with a witness, Hubert (Reedbird) Chase,
at Johnson's home in Fairfield. There was no reported resistance and Johnson claimed
self-defense as his only reason for being involved in the incident. Johnson and Chase were both taken
to the jail house in Brooklyn. There, it was discussed that the two men should be transported to Annapolis for safekeeping. The lateness of the coroner's trial, which ruled on
the cause of Frederick Schwab's death, caused both men to be held in Brooklyn overnight. The December 26, 1911 issue of the Baltimore Sun reported
that around 2:00 a.m. the day before, Johnson
was forcefully taken from his cell and lynched.2
A newspaper report noted that eight white men broke into
the Brooklyn jail seeking Johnson. For some unknown reason, there were no guards on duty at the time. The men who entered into the jail mistook the witness Hubert Chase for Johnson.
However, Chase pleaded with them that he was not the man they were looking for, and the men
found Johnson in another cell. Johnson was beaten over the head with
a blunt object and his body was dragged down the stairwell and out of the building. Johnson was then dragged almost 200 yards to Second Avenue,
a newly built road in the community. There, he was shot four times, killing him. Johnson's body was found around 5:45 a.m. by a young man named
George Coulbourne. Johnson had been thrown into an embankment on
the side of the road. His body was later viewed by Chief Irwin
and Dr. Charles H. Brooke.
3
The investigation of the lynching did not uncover
the persons responsible for it. However, the investigation
did provide knowledge of how such injustices were able to take place in
Maryland. Poor protection of those accused of crimes, and community
silence, were the two most important elements in allowing for lynchings to take place and for the perpetrators to go unpunished. The lynchers were able to break into
the jail and apprehend Johnson because there were no guards on duty. The only witness, Hubert Chase, was threatened into silence. Chief Irwin and the other officers on duty did admit to leaving the jail
earlier than usual on that particular night, claiming they had no cause
to be alarmed. Officials criticized the police officers for not providing
proper protection to those persons being held in the jail. There
were also reports of anonymous letters identifying the names of those involved,
mostly friends and family of Frederick Schwab. No one in the community
spoke up with evidence that supported these accusations. Hubert Chase, the
only witness to the lynching, refused to change his plea
of ignorance. Chase claimed he was asleep and heard only sounds of what
he believed were guards on duty.4 The investigation lasted about two weeks
and ended with a grand jury ruling that the death of King Johnson was
due to lynching by persons unknown.5
Footnotes
1. "Shot After Pool Game." The Baltimore Sun, 25 December 1911. And "Negro Lynched." The Baltimore Sun, 26 December 1911.
2. "Negro Lynched" The Baltimore Sun. And "Johnson Lynched." The Evening Capital, 26 December 1911.
3."Johnson Lynched" The Evening Capital
4. "Other Negro Held As Witness." The Baltimore Sun, 26 December 1911.
5. "Grand Jury Finishes." The Evening Capital, 13 Janaury 1912.
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