Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-17
Ed WHITE CASE IS
REVIEWED.; COURT
RECORDS OFFERED

| Judge William E. H. Searcy, Jr.,
| of the Flint circuit, Saturday fur
nished The Journal with a copy of
| his reply to Governor Dorsey, follow
| ing the sharp exchange of communi-
| cations between them arising out of
| the judges taking exception to GER
tain cases cited in the governors
pamphlet dealing with alleged in
stances of mistreatment of the negro
in Georgia. Judge Searcy reviews
the Ed White case, upon which Gov
ernor Dorsey admitted he had based
his charges, and invites an inspec-
ton of the court records Of the trial.
Judge Searcy criticizes the action
of the governor in giving nationwide
publicity to alleged crimes, reported
by his investigators, and declares
that You have done your state and
her institutions and her people great
err and more lasting harm than any
plague or pestilence could have in
f1icted on them"
Text of Letter
The letter follows in full:
Griffin, Ga, May IA, 1921.
Governor Hugh NJ. Dorsey, Atlanta,
Ga.
Dear Sir: Replying to your let
ter of May IL, l beg to say, Ed
White stayed in Jail in Epson more
than ten days before his removal,
ed. At the time of his trial, as
we'll as before and after, he was
again in Jail and remained unharm-
ed. This disproves the belief you
express that his removal saved the
life of this man. Moreover there
has never been a lynching in Epson
county though graver crimes have
man life, whether negro or Caucas-
sian. is as safe in Epson county as
anywhere on earth The people of
the county are as fair, as brave, as
upright as any people.
II have demanded of you the
of infamy and disloyalty. The con-
stitution guarantees that the ac-
cused be confronted by witnesses.
Common fairness demands it.
Though I wired you "a hours ago
for this information, l have had no
answer. The people of Epson coun-
ty have right to this information.
In their name and behalf, 1 again
denounce the alleged statements of
these undisclosed witnesses as ma
liciously false. See the Thomaston
Times of this week.
GAS for the charges against the
superior court of Epson county. and
the trial had therein, L reply as be-
fore, the record speaks for itself.
1t is on file in the clerks office of
that court. and of the court of ap-
peals-within1 fifty steps of your
office. Your investigator never
read it and although called to your
that you have read it. 1t shows
Ed Whites guilt conclusively. Not
witness testified in his favor. nor
did he make a statement denying the
charge. I am eliminating his son
and daughters, though they were in
cluded in your statement, since they
were satisfied with their trial. none
of them even filing a motion for
new trial, or taking any exception
thereto.
Beggars Contempt
Notwithstanding twenty three
grand jurors investigated the case
and returned indictments, and twelve
trial jurors. after hearing the evil
ldece and argument of counsel, con-
ldence and argument of counsel, con-
best and most honorable judges in
Georgia according to your publish
ed reference to me) approved the YER
detail being sworn officers of the
state, acting under oath-neither you
nor your investigator claim to have
even inquired of any of them, nor
of states counsel, Hon. E. NJ. Owen,
nor the official court stenographer,
nor any officer of court, as to the
evidence or proceedings in court, nor
to have read the record, but you and
your investigator preferred to, and
did go to others assuming, for the
a 7 ON nT1t hot ha LOT
you claim to have), none of whom
were under oath, nor claiming to
have frst-hand knowledge, and on
their unsWorn statement, made eX
to upset the solemn adjudication of
the superior court, condemn the fair
ness of the trial, impute perjury to
the jury, and an improper sentence
of the prisoner to the judge.
'Such attitude and conduct on the
part of your Investigator, and you,
as governor, beggarS my contempt.
You accept my statement that no
committee waited on me or received
any promise from me as to the SEN
tence that would be imposed, there
fore, / make no further reference to
this, other than to say, the authors
of it deliberately lied, and it was I'M
worthy of you to repeat it, without
even inquiring of me about it. But
you add with the facts reported to
as to the case When L last knew
of you discussing this question, the
right of the executive to have a con-
clusion, or opinion, about a case con-
trary to the courts adjudication of
it, you were riding in to the COVER
| nor's office by means of an indig-
nant and violent denial of this right
to the executive. You were pro-
| claiming throughout Georgia that
| the courts adjudications We're final,
| the end or q l9W and dom n r.
ing that they be so recognized and
| acknowledged. You were persistent
and violent in asserting this doc
| trine. Since when did you change,
and why the change?
Not Only Change
Nor is this, Governor, your only
! change of base. If my memory is
not faulty, not long ago-perhaps,
| just before your race for the senate
| "a committee of negro preachers
! appealed to you, as governor, to in
| terVene to stop mobbing and lynch
! ing of their race. The substance and
effect of your reply to them was ii
| they really wanted lynching and 9TH
er violence towards negroes stopped,
| tC 60 home and tell the negroes to
| point out the fends whose crimes
provoked lynchings and violence. In
| other words, If they would disclose
! the real criminal they would not be
! And why oil of sudden the com
! pilation OF these alleged cases of
! outrage against the negro? AS to
these cases [ repeat again if there is
no more truth and fact in your other
| cited cases than in these cases., you
| have shaInelessly libeled the great
| state of Georgia-your state that has
| favored you with exceeding great
! honor-and besmirched the fair name
| of its citizens--as brave, upright
| and loyal as live anyWhere-to the
extent that generations yet unborn,
| will feel the blight of it.
| Furthermore, if every case cited
! by you be exactly as you report it,
| as regrettable as this would be, as
| worthy of condemnation as this
| would be, still they would represent
| outrages against approximately one
Ii IL 1