The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-09
TURNED LOOSE.

TURNED LOOSE.
Aaron Williams, Colored, Who Wa
Convicted Is Cow Discharged.
The End OF an Important and Signi
heant Case in Which Lynching
Was Once Threatened.
A special dispatch from Camden t.
The State says last year the county
especially the portion KershaW coun
ty bordering Sumter county, wa
thrown into great excitement on &C
count Of a reported case Of rape, which
was said to have been committed upor
a Mrs. Langley. white, by one Aarol
Williams, negro, OF the pure Afri
can type. Very peculiar circum
stances surrounded the case. Tn'
citizens became indignant and threat
ed lynching, and Aaron Williams IN
Ger protection OF law was escorted Il
toe penitentiary for safe keeping
The husband OF Mrs. Langley com
mittsd suicide.
Aaron Williams at the February
term Of court was brought back ant
placed on trial for the offense. HI
was without counsel, and By appoint
ment OF the court, Hon. ". B
Trantham, Of the Camden bar con
Quoted his defense. The jury con
victed him upon the testimony OF N rs
Langley, and be was sentenced to b:
hanged. From the testimony de.
veloped in the case and the circun
stances connected with the affair
many Of the very best white people OF
the county believed in the innocence
Of Aaron Williams, and a petition
was cotton up and submitted to Gov.
Hayward asking for a reprieve until
satisfactory proof could be procured
which would establish the fact tina,
Aaron Williams was not guilty Of the
charge.
Aaron Williams was without money,
but he was not without friends and
their efforts in his behalf succeeded in
having the execution Of the death
sentence stayed, and the case came
up before Judge Prince at the April
term OF court at this point for a new
trial on after discovered evidence.
Judge Prince from the showing made
very promptly granted Aaron a new
trial, and his case was placed on the
docket for trial last week. When the
case was called for trial the witnesses
for the prosecution were not present,
Mrs. Langley, it is claimed, having
absolutely refused to appear any more
in court to testify against him. She
now resides outside OF the State. 1t
was impossible to secure conviction
In the case without the testimony OF
Mrs. LangleY, and as she is now be-
yond the jurisdiction Of the court,
and could not be brought here against
her will, and she having sent word
that she would not come, it has re-
suited practically in the acquittal OF
Aaron Williams, for be has been dis
charged without bond from the Gus.
todY OF the sheriff. he is now a free
man to 90 WheIesoeVer he may desire,
After Aaron's conviction, the white
people in this community who be.
lieYed in his innocence had the law
firm Of Clark & Won Tresckow to look
after the accused negro's interests.
When the case Was called for trial
on the sessions side OF court last week
Messrs. Clark & Won Tresckow de-
manded trial for their client, and
the State not being IN a position to
try it because OF the absence and re,
fusal Of Mrs. Langley to come here,
the attorneys had spread upon the
minutes OF court their demand for i'm
msdiate trial, and this under the sta
tute entitled Williams either to trial
or his discharge, as he has been con.
fined in jail over three terms Of court.
Judge Ernest Gary Thursday after
noon signed an order which liberates
Aaron Williams from jail on his own
recognizance under the section OF the
statutes above referred to. This ends
the case which created so much dis
cussion at the time in the newspapers.
and the man who has been living in
the shadow Of the gallows for nearly
year is now free. This case is one
OF the best exemplifcation and justi.
fcation OF the moral plea Of letting
the law take it's course that mas ever
come under the observation, know.
ledge OF Information OF the writer,
At the time OF the alleged commits.
sion Of the assault Aaron Williams
came very near being the victim OF a
mob, and a few weeks later he stood
up in court, pleaded for mercy anc
heard the death sentence prorou ?ceo
upon him. To-day he is breathing the
life OF a new man with no restriction:
on his movements, incliaations cl
peregrinatioEs.