Johnson v. Commonwealth

Haywood Johnson was convicted of murder in the first degree, and given the death penalty. The facts upon which the Commonwealth relies, and which were established by the testimony of six eye-witnesses, are substantially as follows:

About 8 P. M. on October 28,1934, the deceased, Joseph Hogshire, and two other white men, Leroy Messiek and J. D. McDermott, entered a negro cafe on Cypress avenue, *836Princess Anne county, where they invited several of the negro patrons present to drink with them whiskey, which they had previously obtained at a State store. After spending an hour or more in this…