Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-07
without q single mishap or the slightest
official bIundes.
\ @ or Williams.

without 9 single mishap or the slightest
official bIundes.
HANGING on WILLIAMS.
Of the negro. William Williams, who
was hung at Bartlett to-day, the follow.
ing particulars will be read With interest:
VIM. Williams was a mulatte, aged
forty years, and wss born near Hunts
vile, Ala. in 1885. He was committed
to Shelby County Jail September 20,
1914, for the murder Of Joe Fields, col
ored, the Saturday preceding that date.
He had an accessory after the fact in
Ssmpson Pryor. also colored, who assist
ed in concealing the body Of Fields ana
afterwards turned States evidence
against Williams. Two causes are as
signed for the murder: First, Fields
was q tenant Of Williams, who was in
good circumstances, financially, and
Williams had become security for the
payment Of $l4 due from Fields to a
white neighbor. 0ut of this a quarrel
arsse, as Williams was about to become
liable for the amount. Second, Fields
charged Williams with an attempted
rape on his wife, and threatened to in
diet Williams therefor. The testimony
was purely circumstsntial which led to
the conviction, save the direct evidence
Of Sampson Pryor, the acces-
sorry. It appears that late in
the afternoon of the day of tie killing,
Williams, Pryor, Fields (deceased) and
other negroes, were assembled at the
house os a negro named Branch Quin-
nell, on or near 10 Barnes place, two
miles from Shelby Depot. Some of
them bad just returned from the depot,
and were drinking. They had several
bottles Of whisky. Pryor testified at the
trial; Came by Williams house at 2 or
3 o'clock pm, with Frank Ketchum;
went TO Grinnell's with one of them
Williams carried a hickory stick; sepa-
rated from party at Branch Quinnells,
and went hohe alone; didn't know
when the others vent away from Grin.
nelrs; subsequently Williams called
witness from cotton-patch and they
went back to Quinnell's. He relates
what occurred then, referring to fire.
quent drinks all around and other mai.
tiers not pertinent to the case; Williams
left Quinnell's in company with Fields,
walking in the direction in which the
murder took place. Frank Ketchum
and witness walked home after dark;
met Williams, who said be was going
back to Quinnells; Frank and witness
went Ia witnesses house; witness left
Frank in the house and vent TO the stable
70 feed the horses with corn, which he
carried in his arms.
Billy WiIlisms came up behind witness
ss be was entering the stable and scared
witness so that be dropped the corn; /
said, Who is dat2" and he said, ut is
me" He said. II am in distress and I
want you to 90 help me-" l said, What.
is the matter, BilIy2" He says, II have
killed Fields with my stick" l said,
What in the world did you dothat for?'
He said, Because he threatened to
indict me for committing'a rape on his
wife, and / thought my life as dear to
me as his was to him, and / ] killed him
aud throwed him over the fence 90 that
Billy Mitchell would not see him when be
came along with the wagon" He wanted
me to go help him carry him of. l didn't
want to go. but finally being drlnky, |
went; we then went by Aunt Jane
Cooper'si Billy jumped over the fence
and got a sea-grass rope off the we'll, and
we went up to where Fields was, and
Billy got over the fence and tied his legs
and hands With the rope, aud be put a
rail in between his legs and hands, and
Billy took the front aud Itook the end,
and we carried him through the bottom
in a run. was so drinky that | fell
down several times, and when we came
to a little ravine let my end down, aud
the body fell back towards me, and | was
afraid to let it touch me; l aia'ttouched
it till yet; l dropped my end and run
back a little; ! then went up and took
the other end Of the rail, aud Billy come
and took my end, and we dragged him
up the bank; we then went on about
hundred and fifty yards, and | told him
wouldn't 60 any further. and we put
HIM between two logs, and Billy cut the
rope Of snd took the rail on his shout
der, carrying it 100 yards, and threw it
down.
This witness made a detailed state
ment about their return to the house, sub
%sequently meeting at church next day.
Williams advice to Pryor was to get out
of the way. Pryor went first to Missis.
sippi and then Arkansas. from which lat
ter State he returned to testify. Will
Hams was tried and convicted at the
November term, 1874. He got a new
trial and was then tried, convicted and
sentenced at the May term of the SAINT
court, from which he appealed to the SUI
preme Court, which afi-med his sentence
to be hung on last Christmas eve, but as
in the case Of Frank Scott, Governor
Porter respited him until the 7th Of Jan.
uary-to-dsy.