The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-04-11
CLYDE MANNING TELLS
OF ALLEGED MURDERS
Negro Farm Boss Repeats On Wit
ness Stand Story Told Officers
OF Death of Eleven Negroes
On Georgia Plantation

NlS own ll1C HoS s"S 'NSsA'N
prompted Clyde Manning, negro
farm boss, to help kill II negro
farm hands employed on the Jasper
county plantation Of John S. Will
liams, the negro told the jury trying
Williams in Newton county superior
court here today. Manning asserted
on cross examination he did not
want to kill them, but was afraid to
disobey Williams who, he declared,
was trying to do away with the ne
groes for fear they might testify re-
garding peonage conditions on the
Williams farm.
"They wasn't abothering me"
said Manning, coal black short,
stockily built man Of about $50
pounds, "and I didn't want to get
'em out of the way" but he added, a
few moments later, "Mr. Johnny
said, it's your neck or their"
The negroes met death shortly af-
ter federal authorities started an in
vestigation of alleged peonage on
the farm, six of them according to
Mannig, being chained to rocks and
thrown alive into rivers, and five
knocked in the head or shot and
buried on the farm.
Williams is on trial charged with
the murder of Lindsay Peterson,
one of three negroes alleged to have
been brought into Newton county
and drowned. The defense sought to
confne the witness to his account OF
Peterson's death and bar him and
two federal agents from testifying
to peonage conditions. Judge John
B. Hutcheson overruled both mo-
tions and Green F. johnson, chief
counsel for Williams, indicated he
would appeal on these grounds to
higher courts in event of conviction
of Williams.
Throughout an hour Of cross ex-
animation the negro who was indict-
ed jointly with Williams stolidly de-
MED any pressure had been brought
to bear on him to make him tell the
story. It was only after long ques-
tioning by officers, he said, that he
first told his story, but he denied he
had been beaten, threatened, with
drowning or promised a light SEN
tence if he would help convict Will
liams as the latter's counsel intima-
ted.
"Just Telling The Truth"
"T'm just telling the TRUTH" Man.
ming told the attorney and added
that he had not talked when first ar
rested because Mr.. Johnny told me
not to-"
"Well drilled" was the only COM
ment that could be obtained from
Williams after the trial. He had
watched the witness closely through
out the day and on one occasion
smiled broadly when Manning de-
scribed how in his one attempt to
operate his employers automobile
he had run into mail box.
Huland, Marvin and Leroy Will
liams, SONS of the defendant for
whom Gov. Hugh Dorsey has asked
indictments in Jasper county when
the grand jury there takes up April
II investigations of the deaths of the
eight negroes in that county were
not in court again today, but DR..
Gus Williams, the oldest son, flatly
denied report they had left the state
They probably will attend the trial
later, he said.
The state put up four other wit
ness besides Manning-two federal
agents, Clyde Freeman negro farm
hand, and negro woman cook
and was expected to conclude its
case by tomorrow night. The de-
fense indicated it would conclude its
testimony in about one day and that
the case should 60 to the jury Satur-
day. -
Manning was the states chief
witness and during his Testimony
the court house was packed to