Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-06
MANNING TELLS
GRUESOME STORY
OF DROWNI
Victims 'Stubbofn And
Begging, Too, Negro
Swears On Stand

ONlNGTON, April 6.-The
'stockade" on the Jasper county
plantation Of John S, Williams, where
the state alleges numerous negro farm
hands held in peonage were locked
each night, was described by de-
paltment of justice agents here to-
day in the trial of Williams on the
charge of numbering negro iaborers.
George W. Brown and A. j. Whise-
nant, the rst two witnesses for the
state described their visit to WilA
ilams farm February t8, 1920, when
they saw Ele stockade. Both said it
was equipped with wooden shutters
which could be barred on the outside
and had holes for chains and locks.
At this point the court dverruled
motion by the defense to rule out ali
testimony relating to peonage, after
which Brown continued his testi.
mony.
Williams told me that he NAV
have violated the peonage laws" the
witness swore, but said if he did 80
the violation was unintentional
Efforts by the state to show that
Leroy Williams. a son of the accused
planter, had killed a negro, were
blocked when the defense objected,
the objection being sustained by the
court.
Clyde Manning's Story of Murders
Clyde Manning, alleged confedef.
ate Of Williams in the multiple nur.
ders, and formerly a farm hand on
the Williams farm, followed the fed.
eral agents on the stand.
Much time was taken M bv attor.
neys for the state in bringing from
Manning the names of all of vii
ltams children, the names Of all Of
the negroes on the big farm be.
longing II Williams and his son.
Going into the details OF the
! death of Lindlev Peterson. Mannine
swore that Peterson and Willie
Preston, two Of the negroes whose
bodfes were recovered from Yellow
river, Manning SAID both victims were
brought into Newton county, chain.
ed together to a sack of rc:ks and
tosSed alive from The bridge irte the
depths Of the river.
Manning tested that Williams
d owe the car frnln TIE 4i4i4i4 y
% lfo rlver bt'dEe and Felped get the
doomed negroes out of the car lust
before they thrown into the water
and drowned. The two victims were
THROWN over the bridge rail into the
stream, Manning said, by himself and
Charlie Chisholm, another negro. by
order Of Williams,
They were stubborn and begging.
too" Williams said, referring to
Peterson and Preat IN. "but me and
Charlie rolled them over the bannis-
ter into the river"
The state tried to show by Man.
nlng that Harry Price, another ne
gro farm hand, was drowned the
same night in another river by Viii
hams orders, but objection BY the
defense to. was sustained. The court
then recessed for lunch
After recess court resumed hearing
Manning's story. The defense OBJ.
5ccted 10 certain questions. butt tie
cbie"!lon was overruled.
Manning then told OF ha- he an
v lllams and CT Isholm rot back ;nfo
Nll! ans car ard carried Foo. -
Price to South river. Before Price
could be .hrovn into tho river na
got out and said Don't throw mo
over" Manning said "and he saws
Lord have mercy, and went over" -
Manning quoted Williams as say.
ing 1T won't do for these boys to 20
up yonder and swear against me.
They've got to be done away with. If
you won't do it, why it lust means
your neck Of theirs"
Manning recounted on the stand
the story Of how two other negroes
were drowned and others Knocked n
the head at Williams orders and
then buried.
AT 3 o'clock the state finished ex-
aiming Manning and the negro was
turned turned over to the defense for cross.