The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-10-04
THE TRIAL OF HALEY JOHNSON
THE SANDERSVILLE PAPERS AC-
COUNT OF SENSATIONAL CASE.
Intense Interest Was Shown by the
People, and Many Ladies Were in
Court Room as Spectators.

last March:
THE trial of Prof n. H. Johnson,
charged with the murder of DR.. I. }.
! Kelley, took place in Washington SUI
perior court last week. The case was
taken up Tuesday afternoon, consid-
cradle time being occupied in secur-
ling a Jury. A large number of wit
lnesses had been subpOenaed to tes-
tify in the case, and able lawyers
represented the prosecution and also
the defense The court room was
! crowded throughout the trial. Many
of the ladies of the county were in
terested spectators at various phases
of the trial, and several of them
witnesses.
The tragedy occurred upon the
streets of Tennille last March during
the spring session of the superior
court. Prof. Johnson had had some
trouble with Tom Kelley, son of the
man whom he later killed, and had
expelled him from the Tennille Insti-
tute, of which he was the principal.
Tom Kelley circulated a report about
Prof. Johnson which was a serious
reflection upon his character, the ma
ture of which cannot here be repeat
ed. Unfortunately credence was Civ
en- to this report by the relatives of
Tom Kelley. When the report final
| ly reached Prof Johnson he indig-
nantly denied its truth. Through the
city board of education and also the
! Masonic fraternity of Tennille he
sought to have the matter adjusted,
but without avail. Angry feelings
! sprang up between Prof. Johnson and
relatives Of Tom Kelley, and the ten
sion was so great that friends of both
/ parties realized that a tragedy was
possible. When the elimination
came on the fatal morning that DR..
! Kelley and Prof. Johnson happened
to be near each other on the same
street it was realized, when too late,
that some one had erred, that a hu-
man life had been consumed by in
| discretion, in the heat of passion,
which had been famed to fame of
! destruction.
A large number Of witnesses were
examined, and the most intense in
terest was shown in the testimony of
each one. The examination of the
! witnesses consumed two days, We'd
nesday and Thursday. The state
ment of the prisoner, which had been
reduced to writing, was made by him
Thursday afternoon. He reviewed
his career briefly up to the time that
| ne came to TenniIle in 1908 as prin
clpal OF the Tennille Institute, and
gave many Of the details that led up
TO the killing of DR.. Kelley. On the
morning of the tragedy he had gone
! TO the postOffice for his mail at the
! recess, which usually takes place at
ABOUT ~ o o'clock, and while returning
10 the school building saw Dr. Kelley
coming diagOnally across the street.
| towards his medical office, which was
near the pOstOffice. He claimed that
Or. Kelley uttered a threat and made
a movement as if to draw a weapon,
when he quickly drew his pistol from
| his coat pocket and fired as rapidly
as possible, killing DR.. Kelley al
I most instantly.
Realizing that he had killed his
antagonist Prof. Johnson then reload
ed his pistol and, making a detour
around the stores in the hotel block
started towards Sandersville for the
purpose OF delivering himself to
oherln Moye. When he saw some of
the relatives of DR.. Kelley coming
towards him with pistols he entered
the office of the Augusta Southern
railroad, from which place a tele-
phone message was sent for Sheriff
Moye to come and get him. Two mis-
tots mad been fired at him Just as he
lett the scene of the tragedy. but
none OF the bullets took effect, and
an e1ort was made by the brother of
Or Kelley to enter the depot, but
shot from Prof. Johnsons pistol
which did not harm anyone. put a
stop to this effort.
The counsel for the prosecution
was composed Of Hardwick e
Wright, E. w. Jordan and Solicitor
General Harrington. The defense was
represented by Evans & Evans T x
Hines, w. H. Burweu and John r
IRWIN. Six speeches were made nv
the lawyers, three for the prosecu-
tlon and three for the defense. Able
ana eloquent arguments we're made
on each side, and intense interest
was manifested by the throngs that
crowded the court house. The last
argument was concluded Saturday
Inornlhg, after which Judge Raw
!IhgS delivered the charge to the
jury and the members of that BODY
retired to make up their verdict The
jury was not out very long before the
foreman announced that they had ar
rived at verdict, and when this was
read out in court Prof. Johnson was
free man, as far as the court is
concerned, as verdict was read
Not guilty" Before the case had
gone to the jury it was freely pre-
dlcted by many who had heard the
evidence that there would be no con-
Viction, while few thought that
possibly mistrial would be de-
clared.
Soon after he was freed by the
verdict of the jury Prof. Johnson
planned to take an automobile trim
from Sandersville to Milledgeville.
where he would take an early train