Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-07

said, with a sack of rocks chained
to his neck.
Il held the weight off his neck
Will che got out of the car" Man
ming said.
| Manning said the three negroes
| were lured away from the farm by
| being told they were to be taken to
a train and allowed to go home.
! Before they left, Manning said,
! Williams, referring to the peonage
| tigation, told him:
1T won't do for these boys to go
| up yonder and swear against US. 1t
would ruin me. They got to be done
away with. If you don't want to do
| it, it just means your neck or theirs ]"
Manning also said that he had kept
| negroes fastened UP at night in the
| stockade.
Manning continued his recital by
| counting his story of how two more
| negroes were drowned and three
| knocked in. the head on Williams Or
| ders and buried.
Federal Agents Testify
| Spirited legal clashes between Sp9-
cial Prosecutor VIM. NJ. Howard and
attorney for the defense, Gree q
| the evidence of the first Witness
George w. Brown, federal agent,
marked the clnd day of the trial
of John S. Williams, wealthy JAS
per county farmer, on trial here for
the murder of Lindsey Peterson, for
mer farm hand, who is allied to
| have been one eleven negroes
slain by CLYDE Manning, farm fore
man for Williams, at the instiga-
tion of he planter.
| The state attempted to bring out
a series of alleged crimes to cover
up the pending charges of peonage,
while the defense contended that
| Williams was being tried on the spe-
cific charge of numbering one negro.
and that collateral testimony should
be excluded. The jury was sent
from the court room several times,
while Attorneys Howard and John
| son argued points of law. Brown
was allowed to continue his story
of his visit to the Jasper county
farm.
Clyde Manning, self-confc3sed ex-
ecutioner of len farm hands, was
in the courtroom. but avoided the
chances of is former employer, on
trial for his life. 'Te is to testify
| today
The small room was crowded
again with interested spectators and
! perfect order prevailed.
Court Opens
| Williams talked with newspaper
men when he entered the court room
at S:45 o'clock. He was asked if he
| knew why his three sons, Huland
| Marvin and Julian Williams, were not
| attending the trial Il cannot imag-
inc" he declared. but | expect they
| will be here today" Williams said
| he slept we'll and was feeling good
Judge Hutcheson raped for order
as the county clock struck nine. He
again warned against EXPLANATIONS
of approval or disapproval, declaring
| if any occurred he would clear the
| 0f
The jury was brought in at 9:O5
o'clock. At the same time Williams
| wife and daughters entered. Will
liams jumped to his feet and en-
| braced them. He nodded pleasant
! ly to negro maid who brought a
! room.
Solicitor Brand said the state in
| tended to show that Williams order
| ed the negro Peterson slain in order
to hide peonage conditions on his
farm.
The witnesses for both sides were
sworn and sequestered.
Clyde Manning answered present"
in a shaky voice when his name was
| called.
Calling of the witnesses revealed
the fact that D. d. Leverett, neigh
Dor of Williams and who recently
had a fight with Williams, would be
used by the state.
partment of justice agent, was the
| first witness He said he visited the
Williams farm on February 2S, 1921
and talked with Williams, telling
| him his farm was under inVestlga-
| ton.
| "He made no objection to the in
| vestigation,' said Mr.. Brown, in re-
| ply to questions from Attorney How
| ard, who conducted the examination
| Of witnesses for the state. CLYDE
Manning and two other negroes We're
at Williams home and talked tc
| Them" the witness said. Attorney
| Johnson interposed frequent obJec-
tons to the federal agents testl-
| monv. He was each time overruled
The witness told of his converse
ton with the negroes on the death
! farm"
clyde Manning. negro "trusty" on
the Jasper county death planta-
ton" was to take the witness stand
| Wednesday morning as the star VII
ness against his former employer.
Manning was nervous when depu-
ties brought him into the courtroom
a few minutes after the second day
Of the sensational trial got under
way. He looked down at the floor
and then up at the ceiling ana
avoided meeting the glance of VIII
liams, who sat between his lawyers:
Attorney William NJ. Howard, OF
the prosecution, expected the negro
to be on the stand for at least two
hours He told The Journals CORE
spondent the state will use approx
mately eight witnesses in addition to
Manning. They are expected to cor
roborate important parts of the ne
gro's testimony he declared.
Preliminaries Cleared
With the selection of the jury
completed and other preliminaries
out of the way. the way was cleared
Wednesday for the beginning of tes-
timony in the case of John S. Will
liams, wealthy Jasper county plant
er, who is on trial for his life here
Wednesdays session was marked by
frequent clashes between attorneys
! for the state and the defense over
; the introduction of certain testi-
mony.
I The trial was put under way Tues
| day morning after Judge Hutchesor
denied the defense's motion for 6
continuance on the ground that ad
ditional time was needed to prepare
it's case.
Spirited arguments by counsel over
:: the appearance in the case of At.
| torney William NJ. Howard and AS.
. sistant Attorney General Graham
} Wright who are aiding in the prose
: cution, and +. Marvin Underwood
3 employed by a number of prominent
r Georgians to represent the negro
S Manning, finally brought a ruling
from the court that the state mus
r place its cards on the table an(
: disclose the names of the person:
, who employed ATTORNEY Howard anC