Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-09
WILLIAMS DENIES
MANNING'S STORY IN
STATEMENT TO JURY
Continued From Page ~

any Of the negroes were killed.
At the time Manning says I was
with him and Charlie Chisholm,
on the way to drown Lindsay
Peterson and Harry Price and
Willie Preston, I was in bed in
my home. l had been to Jack
son that day to take negro
home and I was mighty tired.
[ returned early and I would to
God my wife could take the stand
and bear me out. The law don't
allow her to speak but she knows
Pm an innocent man.
Lindsay Peterson, Willie Pres
ton and Harry Price came to my
house one Saturday about the
first of March and asked for IS
apiece. saying they wanted to go
back to their homes. [ told them
it was all right and I gave them
the money.
They left my farm that night
and I have never seen them
since. I did not leave my home
that night. I missed the ne
groes the next day and asked
Manning where they were. He
said they left for home the night
before. l told him that was all
right.
The next day I had company.
While were all in the house an
other negro named Fred some
thing came up and said he want
ed to go home. I gave him some
money.
I later heard that some negroes
had been found in the Yellow
river. l heard a negro named
Eberhardt Crawford had said he
could identify them as. my neg
roes, so I went straight to see
Crawford and he denied it. Of
course I wanted to find out all |
could about who those negroes
were.
They later got me as a witness
before the grand jury and l told
the jury all l knew. 1t was
then three or four days before
they arrested me. Don't you
know I wouldn't have stayed
around if 1 had been guilty?
don't know what made Clyde
Manning get so mad with me as
to tell all these stories and lies,
but If you Jurors will ask Deputy
Sheriff Hays, who is now in
court, he can tell you a few
things about that.
| have been in jail good while
now and haven't had much
chance to get out and get up evil
dence to fight my case.
The defendant made frequent
gestures to emphasize certain
parts of his statement. He look
ed the jurors squarely in the
eyes and told his story rapidly
and without any sign of worry.
His wife watched him eagerly
and once tears came to her eyes.
She pulled her heavy veil over
her face. Williams continued: Il
have tried to be fair to every
body, and L was as good to Man
ming and his family as l could
possibly be.
II have a wife and children, and
/ love them too much to do such
things as Manning charges me
with. The truth IS, / believe, he
did them himself and is now try
ing to shift the blame to an limo
cent man.
II ask you jurors to look at
me and see if I look like a whole
sale murderer. See if you think
I'm telling the truth. God knows
| am.
Jasper County Cases
IT know nothing, about the
killings. Manning lied when he
said 1 told him to set rid of
them. Everything he told was
lie. | am not guilty.
Now, as far as the killings
in Jasper county are concerned,
these cases are separate and |
understand this court has no
right to look into them. l will
explain the cases against me for
the other killings at the proper
time.
.As far as the cases in this
court are concerned / am abso-
lutely innocent. I am as innocent
as any human being in the world.
That is all l want to say, l
think"
Williams had made a good
witness for himself. His wife
smiled at him as he resumed his
seat by her.
That's our case, your honor"
said Attorney Johnson