The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-12-31

the Stat" penitcntialy, on the above
date, was stopped by Quitman John
son, colored who said he wanted TO
maka statement about the Chester
Kennedy case:
The governor: You solemnly swear
the statement You are going to make to
be the truth, the whole truth and moth
ing but the truth, so help you God?
a. Yes, sir. (Right hand raised)
@. Go on and state to my secretary
What you have just told me?
A My own lawyer and Mr.. James
Willis came to me in jail and said they
We're going to kill me. | did not know
Mr Kennedy at all, and l never seen
him in my life unit! | sa9 him in trial
Justices Office All come there (mean-
ing the jail and said they were going
to kill me if | did not swear Mr.. Ken
nedy was in it. Mr. Ninestein and
Mr. James Willis, after l was convict
ed the first time, told me they wanted
to get a new trial and wanted to get
Kennedy into the trial and they would
turn me loose if l would tell them
Kennedy was in it. did not know any
Kennedy man They said, we will
bring him up here on Sunday even
ing, and you will see him then; he
got a gold tooth and is & long lank
man, and we have fixed up a way so
that you can know him by the time
your trial comes off. I told them |
did not want to swear anything and
the only way | can do you any good
is to DO what you tell me to do, but
| do not know this man Kennedy.
They tell me what to say, and when
it comes down to Kennedy's trial,
. they fix up statement and bring it
to NE in jail and Mr.. Ninestein give
it to me and had me examined IN jail
and carried me over this state. mt
to testify against Kennedy sometime
before Kennedys trial. They had a
mistrial that week and got trial next
week
The sheriff and his son they take
me out ef one cell and put me in an
other one; next morning the sheriff,
his son and Mr. Ninestein come to the
Jail and say they was going to kill us
and say go back on the stand and
tell them l was drunk That if you
did not go back on the stand and tell
them, you will be put to death before
it is dark, because there are enough
people in Barnwell county and they
will kill you. They made me go back
on the, stand and say l was drunk.
Come down to my trial, Ninestein
come to Columbia and say to me,
Johnson what you going to do now?
l say, what you want me to do Mr..
Ninestein? He say, l want you to stick
to the same old story you know; we
only want to convict Kennedy l say,
if that is what you want with me,
carry me en- back in the building; |
do not know Mr.. Kennedy; never
seen him in my life until in the trial
Justices office
This man came to the governor
and voluntarily made the above state
ment, without any reward or expecta-
ton of anything).
Johnson Further stated: am
looking for nothing but to give that
man his justice. l told DR.. Butler,
when l was down with typhoid pneu-
.nonia, for about two months, I want
ed this man Kennedy to have his JUS
tice and was going to tell the truth.
State Penitentiary,
Columbia, S. c., May 10, 1911.
Quitman Johnson, colored, being
brought into the office Of the captain
of the guard at the peAitentiary, in
the presence of Chester Kennedy,
white, was asked the following ques-
tions by his excellency, the governor:
!. @. Look each other square in the
face, eye to eye johnson looking Ken
nedy in the eye) and state when you
first saw that man Kennedy.
A. never saw that man (Kennedy)
in my life up until in the trial JUS
tees Office.
@. What made you say that Mr.. Ken
nedy told you to kill Mr.. Ussery?
A. My lawyer, Mr. Ninestein and Mr..
Wilson said they wanted to 'implicate'
Kennedy into the murder and wanted