Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-02
GOVERNOR DORSEY
To PROSECUTION
IN WILLIAMS TRIAL

lin WILLlHlvlU llnHL
Announcement by Governor Dorsey
| that he is negotiating for the serv-
| ices of one of Georgia's ablest Grim
| inal lawyers to aid in the prosecution
| of John S. Williams and Clyde Man
| ming, defendants in the Jasper coun-
| ty murder farm case, and the dis
| closue that Manning will bare the
| whole story of his fourteen-year stay
on the Williams plantation before the
United States grand jury on Mon
| day, were new developments Friday
in the sensational case growing out
of the recent series of murders of
negro farm hands,
The governor said he is not yet
ready to announce the name of the
attorney who will be associated with
the prosecution. He said the attor-
ney will aid in the prosecution of the
Newton county indictments next
week, and will also appear for the
state in the trials in Jasper county,
IL Attachments I'll Z LOuIIu dSd lIlSI " IL
liams and Manning by the Jasper
county grand jury when it meets on
April II.
The governor stated that in the
event this attorney was engaged he
would act in the capacity of special
attorney general or special states
attorney.
Confessed Eleven Murders
The negro Manning, who has con-
fessed he killed eleven negroes at
the command of his wealthy en-
ployer, will testify before the federal
grand jury in it's probe of alleged
conditions of peenage in Jasper
county on the Williams farm and
others adjacent to it department of
justice agents said.
Department of Justice Agents
Chastain and Wismer took Manning
from the Fulton Tower Friday morn
ing to the Federal building, where
he talked for two hours to Vincent
Hughes, agent in charge of the local
bureau of investigation.
The government will rely on Man
nings testimony and that of fifteen
negro refugees from the murder
farm" for indictments for peonage
against Williams and his three sons,
Huland, Leroy and Marvin Williams,
Mr.. Hughes declared
Williams and Manning will leave
Atlanta under heavy guard at day
Il Flo
they will be tried next week for the
sensational series of murders.
The case of Williams will be put
under way at 8 o'clock Tuesday
morning, with Judge John B. Hutch
eson, of the Stone Mountain judicial
circuit, presiding. Governor Dorsey
has INSTRUCTED Sheriff Lowry to ex-
ercise extra precaution to see that
the prisoners are unmolested while
they are in the Tower, and has asked
Sheriff 3. l.. Johnson, of Newton
county, to take the necessary steps to
insure their safety during the trial.
Special Jasper Court
Judge j. B. Park, of the Ocmnlgee
circuit, announced Friday that plans
are going forward for a special SEES
sion of the Jasper county superior
court on April IL. at which time the
grand jury will investigate the recent
murders with view of returning
indictments.
IL Williams and Manning are in
dlcted in Jasper county for the MUIR
der of the eight negroes Manning
declares were killed there, it is gem
orally understood that the state will
make motion for change of venue,
either to Atlanta or Macon.
With the trial of Williams set for
Tuesday in the Newton county supe-
rior court at COvington, the defense
Thursday withdrew a petition for a
change of venue from Newton coun-.
ty, which had been previously filed
on the ground that violence was
feared.
Attorney Green Johnson of defense
counsel declared he and his legal as
sociates are no longer apprehensive
OF violence, but are assured and con-
WINGED by court officials and Newton
county citizens that a fair and i'm
partial jury can be obtained to try
the case.
Question of Jurisdiction
The Withdra wal of this petition
does not mean that another move to
nave the IIldl removed from Newton
county will not be made by the de-
Tense. 1t is the general opinion in
CoVington that after the trial is well
under way, attorneys for Williams
will make motion contending that
Newton county superior court is
without jurisdiction in the case and
asking that it be removed to Jasper
county for trial.
If a plea of lack of jurisdiction is
made by the defense, it will probably
be based on the contention that the
fact that tn" bodies of several of the
murdered negroes which washed
ashore on the Newton county side of
the river does not necessarily mean
the negroes were killed in Newton
county.
Judge John Hutcheson is ex-
pected to overrule any point as to
jurisdiction, if one is made, and or
der the trial of Williams to pro-
TO Plead mot Guilty"
Attorney Johnson told Newton
county officials Thursday that Will
Iiams will plead not guilty" and
charges of Clyde Manning, the negro
farm hand, also indicted for the
series of murders of snegroes for
merly employed on the Williams
plantation.
It further developed Thursday that
Julius, Marvin and Huland Williams.
sons of the accused farmer, will be
witnesses for the defense. In the
event they are arrested between now
and Tuesday on the warrants out
standing against them, Attorney
Johnson said he would ask Judge J.
B. Park. of the Ocmulgee judicial
circuit, to grant their release during
their fathers trial.
Newton county officials were en-
crossed Friday in an investigation
of a statement made to them Thurs
day by an unnamed negro that two
negroes were put to death on the
murder farm" more than a year
ago. The Negroes statement is said
by the officers to have Implicated
the three sons of Williams.
According to the Negroes story.