Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-07

gave the names of all the relatives
of Williams. He named many ne
groes who he declared Williams and
| his sons secured from the stockade
! in Atlanta and Macon.
In referring to Williams, Manning
called him mister. Johnny" Man
ming declared the following negroes
/ were killed: Willie Givens, Fletcher
Smith, Harry Price, Charlie CHS
| holm, Johnny Williams, Johnny
Green. John Brown, Little Bit
big john" Lindsay Peterson, Willie
"TeIi the jury how Lindsay Peter
son died" said Attorney Howard.
! "A weight was tied around his
neck and he was thrown in Yellow
river, from the Allen bridge" said
Manning. ,
Preston and Peterson was chained
| together with a trace chain, and Mr..
| Johnny told me and Charlie Chisholm
| to throw 'em in. We also weighted
EN- down with a sack of rocks. They
| begged not OF be killed, but Mr.
on earth. He made me and Charlie
tie their hands together, too. We
| pitched 'em over the railing of the
bridge. Mr.. Johnny helped us carry
| the sack of rocks from the automo-
| bile to the bridge.
| eve took Harry Price with us that
night, but Mr. Johnny decided not to
| drown him. Mr.. Johnny drove US to
| the bridge in his automobile. We
started from his house at 9 o'clock
at night The trace ckain and rocks
! were already in Mr.. Johnny's car
| when [ got in"
Mr.. Howard asked Manning why
he helped throw the negroes in the
"Weu, Mr.. Johnny told me to-" re-
| O1ip6 Manning
Attorney johnson raised objec-
! ton to parts of the Negroes testl-
mony and the jury was sent from
| the room while the points were
/ argued.
! THE indictment on which we are
| trying Williams charges him with
| killing Lindsay Peterson" began At
| torney Johnson. 1.-The state is trying
to get evidence before the jury of
other killings. We object to testi-
ders on the ground that it is irrele>
want and prejudicial to the defend
! ant"
The attorney cited various court
| decisions in support of his motion to
restrict Manning to his story of how
| Lindsay Peterson met death.
| Attorney Johnson cited decisions
! Of the supreme court in the Leo M.
Frank case which he declared bore
| out his contention that Manning's
|
details of the death of Peterson.
Attorney Howard argued that
Manning's statement in its entirety
was admissible in order to. show a
ing the far mhands killed"
He declared ''this is a series of
killings, closely, connected and
cited numerous decisions to support
lowed to bare his whole story to
|
Williams glanced at the clock on
the wall He yawned, Attorney
Howard concluded his argument with
a burst of eloquence. Mrs. Williams
was in tears as the attorney declared
the defendant plotted to kill negroes
| by the Wholesale in order to cover
up shady practices on his farm
Judge Hutchinson said, 'the motion
back" A recess until 1870 was then
Manning Resumes Story
When court reconvened at 1870, the
largest crowd of the trial was in the
court room. Judge Hutchinson al
lowed people to stand in the rear of
| the room. 1t took ten minutes for
| deputies to restore quiet. Manning
was in the witness chair ready to
continue his gruesome death story.
He said: CAS- soon as wee threw
Peterson and Preston in the Yellow
river we left for South river Mr..
Johnny said we would take Harry
| Price there. When we got to South
river. Mr. Johnny told Harry to get
out of the car. We put weights on
him, tied him and threw him off the
| bridge"
price said May God have mercy
as we threw him in. Price was
chained around the neck and tied to
heavy sack of rocks. Mr.. Johnny
was right there with us when we
drowned Price"
Did he say antyhing?" asked At
No, Sir" said Manning. except
he said to hurry up and have it
over WITH"
Manning said he next saw the
| bodies of Peterson, Preston and
Price, after they were washed up
The Witnesses said "Mr. Johnny
told him he needed him on the night
| these three negroes were drowned
to do a little work"
Mr. Johnny, told the boys he was
going to take 'em to the train and
let 'em go back to their homes"
Manning continued. What the boys
called the guardhouse was my house,
up and fastened from the outside
so they couldn't get out at night"
he said. "The way we got Peterson,
Preston and Price to come to Mr..
| JOhnny'S farm from tne1r places OH
| Mr.. Huland Williams place was by
telling 'em to bring some hogs over
| After those federal officers saw the
| boys, Mr. Johnny told me he wanted
to get rid of the negroes"
Other Killings
HE said he wanted me to help
get rid of 'em because it wouldn't
do for htem to testify in court, as
| they'd ruin him. [ told him [ didn't
want to do it, and he said it was roy
neck or them other negroes. He told
me to decide which L thought the
most of"
Manning next told of the death of
Johnny Williams, who, he said, was
| knocked in the head and buried in the
pasture of the death farm" THE
government agents talked to Johnny
Williams and the next day Mr.. Will
liams told me to get him, as he was
afraid of him
Now tell who killed Black
Strap" said Attorney Howard.
Saw 'em Go Under
l "NIr. Johnny was present when
Black Strap was killed, but [ don't
know who done the king" said Man
ming.
Manning said Williams gave him
an AK and told him to brain Johnny
Williams He told Johnny to go
to the pasture to dig a hole. and
made me follow him. He said Clyde,
if you don't kill that niger, it'll
be your neck I hit Johnny one
lick in the head with the flat side
of the ak, and he fell dead. Then
| put him in one of the holes he