The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-08
Pettus Saved Cullman COun. ty Mans Neck by Piece of Legal Strategy
 Here in 1906
COUP ASTOUNDED
 BAR OF ALABAMA
 FOR UNIQUENESS
Facts in Noted Murder Case
 Recalled in Detail Since Pettus Enters Race to Succeed HuddlestOn

In view of the fact that Erie Pet tus has announced for Congress, and that he is now making an active cam paign for the seat of George Huddle- ston, many people are recalling the facts relative to the case of John Will Hams, a Cullman county farmer, who was convicted of staying State Senator F. l.. Hipp of Cullman. in 1905, and sentenced to hang.
 Those who recall the instance, re-
 member that the part Erie Pettus played in saving Williams life made him a very prominent figure at that time, and it will never be forgotten by those who were residents of Bir- mingham at the time, the most excit-
 ing part of the trial having taken place in this city.
 The facts regarding this notable trial as accurately recalled are as follows:
 WRIT OF DISPOSSESSION In the early part of the year 1905 Senator R. L. Hipp of Cullman county, one of the best known public men in the state at that time, went with the sheriff to the eastern part of Cullman county to execute writ of dispossess- ing John Williams, white citizen, of
  torney in the case against John Will Hams. Some discussion arose, and in 1.-the general shooting that followed, Hipp was shot in the head.
 The home of MT. Williams was three or four miles away from any other in habitant; it was late in the afternoon; rain was threatening; his wife was sick, and it was said that he appealed to the officers to allow him to wait until the next day and that he would then move out, and that they refused 1 This was what led up to the shooting. Williams fled. The officers hurried back to town, and posses were roised, and search for Williarn, began. Feel ing ran high in Cullman county, and at that time, it was feared that vio- lence would be done at the time. lPETTUS WILLIAMS ATTORNEY Within a few days Williams was captured or surrendered and was carried the county jail at Huntsville for safe keeping. Erie Pettus was then an attorney with his office at Athens, and had been solicitor. for the Sixteenth circuit, composed of Madison and Lime stone counties, which office had recent l ly been abolished by a decision of the supreme court. MT. Pettus hap pened to be in Hutsville at the time Williams was in jail there, when the l son of the defendant, Frank Williams, came to him and employed him to rep resent his father. The case was sub sequently tried in Cullman. Applica- tion for change of venue was overruled. A host of lawyars was employed by the prosecution to aid the states at torney, and the trial lasted several days and included many dramatic incidents, among which was a suspension of pro- ceedings until the body of Hipp could be exhumed and the fatal bullet ex- tracted from his head.
 This was to settle the controversy as to whether Or not it was the bullet
 from Williams pistol or the bullet from the sherifrs pistol that caused Hipp's death. When the bullet was brought into court, the defendants counsel demanded that the bullet be weighed A jewellers scales were brought in, and the bullet weighed to an ounce pistol, and differed four or five ounces 1 in weight from the one drawn from Williams pistol.
 WHOLE COUNTY ABSORBED 1 The whole county was absorbed in the trial, and there was no standing room in the courthouse during any por- | tion of it's progress. Finally, there was a verdict of guilty, and defendant sent enced to death The case was appealed ana Dltterly contested through the Su- preme court. The sentence was af- | firmed August 1, 1906. Motion for re- hearing was overruled. In the criminal annals of Alabama there was nothing I left to be done except >to make an ap-
 peal for executive cle, 1ncy. The idea that Williams was bes4g oppressed in
 the original civil proceeding seeking to deprive him of his home. and that | he waa a poor man defending his home, and incidents in evidence brought out l on the trial had served to bring about
 a reversal of feeling in Cullman coun- l ty, and aroused much sympathy for
 the prisoner, and owing to the fight i that Williams was making for his life.
 as well as the prominence of the de- ceased. the case was attracting wide attention over the state.
 SON ABLE CHAMPION
 The son of the defendant tramped l through Cullman county and procured
 a petition of over 5000 names asking
 for a communication of the life sentence. Appeal was made to Hon. W. D. Jelks, then governor of Alabama, which he | finally denied on Thursday, and Will l (Continued on Page Nine)