Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-29


expect to have indictments for MUIR
der returned against Williams and
Manning.
Developments of Monday, however.
indicated that whatever steps may be
taken by the government or by Jasper
county authorities, Newton county
will be the first to try both Williams
and Manning
Newton County Claim
You may say" said Solicitor
Brand to The Journal, that both
Williams and Manning are going to
be tried in Newton countp and tried
here before they are tried anywhere
else Newton county has priority.
The first victims to be found were
the three negroes washed up from
the Yellow river in Newton county
where we believe they were killed.
The Newton county grand jury, sit
ting in special session, indicted both
men last week. The prisoners be-
long to the Jurisdiction of the New
ton county court.
1--WE are ready to go to trial we
and if the attorneys for the defense
are ready we can begin the case
next Thursday morning and finish
1t at this session of court. Other
wise it will go over until July.
L shall announce to the court this
afternoon that the state is ready
for trial. The attorneys for the de-
Tense can move for a postponement
and If this is granted the case will
of course, go over.
You can say, however, that we
are ready for trial; that the men
are the prisoners of Newton coun-
ty and that they are going to DO
tried in the Newton county court"
Williams is represented by At.
torneys Greene S. Johnson, and w.
II. Key, of Monticello, and c. C.
King, og Covington. Mr.. Johnson
who is now at Covington, told The
journal Monday that he will re-
quest postponement.
Special Grand Jury
Il will be busily engaged in court
this week." he said, land we cannot
possibly be prepared to go to trial
Thursday with a case of this magni-
tude."
If Judge Hutchinson consents to a
postponement 1T is probable that the
case of Manning also will be car
ried over.
In Jasper county Solicitor General
Doyle Campbell and Judge Park were
continuing their plans for a special
session of the grand jury to indiCt
Williams and Manning. Even should
such Indictments be returned the first
trial will be in Newton county ac-
cording to Solicitor Brand
1t was reported Monday that So
licitor Campbell has written to Gov
ernor Dorsey stated that he wished
the Jasper county prosecution to be
handled by the state attorney general
in view of reports that Williams was
in debt to him (Mr. CampbelD. Al
the same time it is understood that
Mr. Campbell pledged every possible
cooperation.
Although this request has not
been received Governor Dorsey stat
ed that, in the event it did reach
him, he would direct Attorney Gen.
eral r. A. Denny and Assistant At
torney General Graham Wright to
seek indictments and prosecute.
Governor Dorsey will ask that the
grand jury return indictments with
out the formality of a commitment
hearing and that, if a commitment
nearing proves necessary, three JUS 4
tees sit on the case instead of
only one. The governor also made
it plain that he would provide ade-
quate protection for the prisoners
wherever they may be taken.
Investigators Wismer and Chas-
tain, of the department of justice,
are continuing their Investigations
for the government with the expec-
tation of being able to ccI,Xict Will
liams on charges of peonage. If
Williams should be convicted and
sentenced to the limit of five years
for each peonage charge the govern
ment agents intend to lodge against
him, his federal court term would,
they, say, be around hundred
years.
The sensational case first came
to light through the governments
a number of negroes called on Vim
cent Hughes, who is in charge of
the Atlanta office of the govern
ment's bureau of investigation, and
complained that they had been held
in peonage. Agents Wismer and
and the government now has many
witnesses ready to testify in the