The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-03-28
TERM OF
COURT FOR TRIAL
OF CASES LIKELY
'Dig Here, Boss" Says Negro
as He Points Out Graves of
Victims and Identifies
Their Bodies

Atlanta, March 27.-With two more
bodies recovered from the Alcovy
river on the Williams farm in Jasper
county today, the list of negroes al
legged to have been killed by John
Williams, the owner of the planta-
ton, and Clyde Manning, a negro
employee, was increased to IL, and
Investigations will be continued by
county officials and federal authori-
ties inquiring into alleged peonage
cases, to ascertain whether there are
other victims.
An inquest held today over eight
of the bodies resulted in verdict de-
clarng the negroes came 20 their deata
at the hands OF the negro Clyde Man
ming and naming Williams as an ac-
cessory. Both Williams and the negro
are under arrest and held in the county
Jail at Atlanta.
Solicitor Campbell OF Newton county
late today made a request on Gov
ernor Dorsey for the appointment of
Attorney General Denny to take charge
of the Investigations in Newton and
Jasper counties. 1t was also announced
by Judge ]. B. Park of the Ocmulgee
circuit that he was awaiting the gov
ernor's orders to call a special term
OF the Jasper county superior court.
teing advised not to issue call for a
special grand jury until further con-
ferences with the chief executive
1t was announced tonight by the
governor that the three sons of John
Williams, julius, Hula and Marvin
would be placed under arrest on the
charge of murder in connection with
the deaths of the negroes on the Will
lfams farm.
URGES SPECIAL TERM
Although me superior court Vi .,ewton
county is already in session and has a
heavy criminal docket this week, Sheriff
he would urge Judge John B. Hutcheson
tomorrow to call a special term an I
place both Williams and Manning on
trial for murder at the earliest possible
date
While more than 200 persons stood on
the Walters bridge. spanning the Broad
Alcovy river, IA miles from Covinston
and watched, the search for the two re-
naming victims told OF by Manning in
his confession, was begun early this
morning. The news that five Of the
bodies had been unearthed and another
found in the river brought hundreds of
people to the scene of the search today.
So crowded was the bridge that traffic
became almost impossible and automo-
hiles were parked on opposite sides o.
the bridge as the dredging was in
progress
CHAINED TOGETHER
Two beats win four n,en ..redged for
the two missing Bodies, cIrcIing the area
OF the river just under the bridge where
Manning declared they had been thrown
by -me, Mr.. Johnny and Charlie CHS
holm" For five hours they searched n
vain but at noon one Of the hooks cauxbt
on An obstacle and after much effort
II was towed to the bank. Then the
dredge was slowly hauled in by the dep
uties and in It was found the figures II
two men bound together with chains
and wire and SO badly decomposed iden-
tification was impossible
For several months federal investixa
tors have been at work on alleged peon-
age cases in Jasper and Newton counties
and according to the alleged confession
of the negro Manning. all the negroa,
killed on the Williams farm were done
to death after federal officials had visit
ed the farm and talked to them. Sheriff
CONTINUED ON rage Twe)