Guilty Verdict in The United States vs. John Arthur Johnson, otherwise known as Jack Johnson
This is the jury's guilty verdict in the criminal trial of John A. Johnson, also known as Jack Johnson. Johnson became the first Black world heavyweight champion in 1910. In 1913, Johnson was convicted for transporting Belle Schreiber, a known prostitute, across state lines from Pittsburgh to Chicago. This case is frequently used as an example of how morality laws, such as the Mann Act, were used for political or social purposes; in this case, in retaliation for his success as a Black boxer. The verdict includes the criminal case number, filing date, jurors' guilty verdict, signatures of the jurors, and some shorthand notes from the stenographer.
Guilty Verdict in The United States vs. John Arthur Johnson, otherwise known as Jack Johnson. National Archives Identifier: 629705
View and download parts of the verdict from The United States v. John Arthur Johnson, otherwise known as Jack Johnson on the National Archives Catalog. This record is one example of many held in District Court Case Files at the National Archives at Chicago, IL. You can explore more of our holdings by visiting our online Catalog or by visiting our research room in person. These records are located within Record Group 21: District Courts of the United States, Series: Criminal Case Files, 1872–2001. Many of the records in this collection have yet to be digitized. We encourage researchers to visit us onsite or contact us remotely to explore these records and learn more about the archival collections held in the National Archives at Chicago.