Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-12
FRANKLIN HUFF,
FARMER, FACES
SHILLING CHARGE

Franklin Huff, a wealthy Spalding
county farmer and former political
leader, who last year finished an
eighteen months term in the federal
penitentiary for peonage, was back
in the United States court Friday
awaiting trial on charges of operat-
ing three slant distilleries on the
twenty-eigh pillow farm near Crit
fin.
He sat in the courtroom smiling
and chatting with his attorney, Col
onel William Beck, and was prepared
to make a vigorous fight for his
liberty when the case was called.
Huff was arrested last May when
a squad of federal agents raided his
farm and, it is alleged, uncovered
three stills, all deliberately equipped
and camouflaged, within 800 yards of
his residence. All the stills were
in operation, the agents said.
One, it was said. was located in a
dug-out on the hillside: another was
under cover on the edge of cotton
field, and the third and largest, it is
alleged, was in a large excavation
under the home of one of Huff's ten
nants. Government agents said a
we'll had been dug, with subter
ranean passageway to the cellar Of
the tenants house. Several hundred
gallons of newly distilled whisky,
several furnaces, 400 pounds of SUI
gar and other supplies and parapher-
MALTA were seized, it is charged. The
raiding squad included Federal
Agents Dixon, Harris, Sowell, Jack
son, Emory and Hicks.
Huff admits that the stills were
found on his land, but denies en-
phatically that they were in opera
ton with his knowledge or consent.
He said he expects to establish this
fact by reliable testimony to be Of
fered by prominent Spalding county
citizens.
Il feel sure I'll be acquitted this
time" Huff told newspaper men. I'm
fact, [ ought never to have served
that year and a ha!S on those peon-
age charges"
The peonage case which resulted in
Huff's term in the federal prison,
States Judge Newman, and attracted
widespread attention and caused feel
ing to run high in Spalding and ad-
joining counties.
A negro preacher, John Westmore-
land, who had been held in a state
of peonage by Huff, according to the
governments witnesses, collapsed
yInI0 he "a
saw Huff, and after court attaches
had revived the negro, he knelt in
front of the judges bench and beg
ged for protection.
The negro was not quoted, it is
said, until Huff called to him to cut
out that monkey business and brace
up" At this command from huff
the negro is said to have again TAX
en- the stand and completed his evil
dence.
After his conviction on the peon-
age charge, Huff appealed the case
and fought it through all the courts,
finally reaching the supreme court of
the United States, which tribunal de-
MED his appeal and caused him to be
sent to the penitentiary to begin his
sentence.
In Another Case
Indictments against six other
Spalding county farmers were found
in connection with the case. Two
convictions were obtained, %and cases
against the remaining farmers stifl
are pending.
Another peonage case in which
Huff is said to have figured promi-
inently is that ofl Willard Cornell,
a prominent Pike county farmer now
under indictment. The peon in this
case was Cornelius Alexander, a ne
gro. Cornell is said by federal agents
to have secured the services of AL
exander from Huff. The indictment
against Cornell recites that when
Connell mistreated the negro, he Wis
tied United States Attorney Hooper
Alexander and asked for protection.
Mr.. Alexander advised the negro to
move away from Connell's farm.
Three nights after he had moved
to Douglasville, a party of white
men visited AleXander's home and
! took him way, it is said. His body
was later found in swamp near
Douglasville On the coroner's jury
which investigated the death sat
Franklin Huff, federal agents say.
The verdict was that IAN unidentified
negro came to his death from an I'M
known cause" and the matter was
allowed to drop until department of
justice agents revived it several
months later.