Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-26
Negro Farm Hand
Confesses Murders
Orderd by "Boss'

Friday in his cell in the Fulton
tower, Clyde Manning, a Jasper coun-
~ negro employed by John Williams
a wealthy Jasper county farmer, told
how he killed five negroes and helped
to drown six others. all of which
was done, he said. at the direction of
his employer.
The negro testified before the New
ton county grand jury at Covington
Thursday and was rushed to Atlanta
for safe-keeping along with another
negro, Clyde Freeman. who is being
held as a material witness.
A warrant charging Manning and
Mr.. Williams with murder was sworn
out in Covington Thursday. Will
liams is icing held in the Newton
county Jail.
Manning told a Journal reporter
that large numbers of negroes were
held in peonage on the Williams plan
tation; that a guard was maintined
over them to make them work, and
that any negroes who were regarded
with suspicion or as likely Inform
ers," were ordered by the wealthy
farmer to be killed.
The negro declared that Williams
farm was terrible place" He said
he had lived on it for nearly fifteen
years and had become Mr.. Williams
confidant. But even then, he said,
he had always lived in a state of
terror.
Four in One Week
''I knocked four negroes in the
head with an ak in one week and
buried them in a pasture back of Mr..
Williams house." declared Manning.
why did I do it?, Because the
boss said he wanted to get rid of
them negroes and that if I didn't
make em disappear, he'd kill me. And
1 knew he meant what he said" he
went on.
Manning said he had made a de-
tailed confession in Covington be-
fore he was brought to Atlanta, and
that he also was quizzed for several
hours before the grand jury which
is now investigating murder and
peonage in Jasper and Newton coun-
ties.
He continued his story:
of Mr.. Williams trusty negroes, put
in a little work-he killed one sus-
picious negro by Draining him with
an ak. Then, a little later. Mr..
Williams got uneasy about Chisholm
and made me get him. Me and Mr..
Williams took him to the river one
night and pitched him off the
bridge after we weighted him down.
Charlie begged hard, but Mr.. Will
liams said Let's throw him over
and have it over With
Helped Drown Six
II don't know how many negroes
there are in the river. but I helped
Mr.. Williams to drown six, includ-
ing Charlie Chisholm. We took the
other five to the river at night, after
getting them out of their houses, and
chained 'em down with rocks and
threw 'em in.
Eyes, sir, they all cried and beg
ged-and some of 'em asked to be
+ knocked in the head before being
thrown in. but Mr.. williams wouldn't
do it and wouldn't let ~me do it
we just threw them off the bridge
and rode on back to the plantation.
Most of the drowned negroes came
off the farm of Mr.. Huyler Williams
my boss son. But few of the
ones Mr.. Williams called bad and
wanted done away with came off of
his own farm.
Most of these dead negroes was
originally from Atlanta, Macon or
somewhere else-they didn't come
4 from Jasper county. Mr.. Huyler
! Williams, the son of my boss, would
go to Atlanta and Macon and get the
negroes out of the stockade by pay
! ing their fines. / used to hear him
and his father talking about all that
well, they brought the negroes to
the farm and put 'em to work, and
kept guards over 'em all the time so
as not to let 'em get away or talk
too much. I don't know whether
they got any pay or not-I know Mr.
Williams paid me $40 month and
board.
Hated to DO It
"Of course, mister, I'm sorry
knocked all them boys in the head
and helped Mr.. Williams do away
with them others, but there wasn't
nothing else l could do-the boss
told me If / didn't do as he said, l
would be the next dead negro around
there. I admits 1 have always been
mighty afraid of Mr.. Williams.
when he got ready to kill a ne
gro, he would come to me and say,
Clyde. I'm scared of that negro
Then he would tell me what he
wanted done. and being as / was
working for him and couldn't get
away myself. 1 had to go ahead and
do it."
Manning said he did not know the
names Of the dead negroes. He did
not think they had been held on the
Williams farm very long before they
were put to death.
Clyde Freeman. the negro held in
the tower with Manning, said he
knew nothing except them negroes
disappeared, but I didn't help to get
rid of EN-"
Agents of the Atlanta bureau Of
the department of justice were still
in Newton and Jasper counties Fri
day investigating the conditions sale
to exist there, and which were barred
in great detail before the Newton
county grand jury on Thursday.
Vincent Hughes. chief of the loca
bureau of the department of JUS
tice, said he has instructions from
Washington to throw the whole
weight of the department into the
n
ed peonage conditions in sections o.
Georgia.