Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-07
Negro Declares
He Swore to Lie
In Peonage Case

Testimony offered by oliver
Slaton, a negro of Pike county, to
the effect that he had sworn to a lie
before the Pike county grand jury
when it was investigating the death
of Cornelius Alexander, because he
was living on Willard Connell's farm
and was afraid to swear to any
thing except what Willard Connell
had told him." featured the Tuesday
morning session of the trial in the
federal court of Willard Connell,
prominent young Pike county farm
er, charged by the government with
peonage.
Slaton testified that before the
grand jury of Pike county he had
sworn that Cap Chum, a negro, who
was then living on the Cornell place,
had borrowed a pistol from him, and
told him that he (Chum) was going
to kill Alexander if Alexander didn't
let him alone. Tuesday morning
when asked about this by District
Attorney Alexander, Slaton swore it
was lie, and that he had sworn
to it because he had been told to
do so, and was afraid to do anything
else.
'Mr. Connell told me to swear to
on his place and afraid to do any
thing else. 1 sWore to that when
they asked me in Pike county, but
it isn't the truth"
Retreats Testimony
Slaton denied on direct and cross
examination that Cap Chum had ever
borrowed a pistol from him or that
Chum had ever told him that he was
going to get Cornelius Alexander"
Ill no
lizard told me to- Slaton continued,
but I'm telling the truth now. l
made up my mind when you all got
me in here this morning that I would
tell the truth. L was afraid to do
it then"
At the beginning of the trial Mon
day morning, counsel for the defense
sought to have the case postponed
on the ground that Slaton, who had
been subpoenaed by the defense as
a witness, was absent. Slaton, how
ever, strolled into the court at that
juncture and the trial proceeded.
Attorney Reuben Arnold for the
defense, in croSs-eXamln1ng Slaton,
read the statement that Slaton made
before the Pike county grand jury,
and Slaton declared that it was AL
a lie"
you're telling the truth now"
aren't you?" Attorney Arnold asked
YES" said slaton, 81 was afraid
to tell it then, but I'm telling the
truth now"
Claims Coercion
''Why were you afraid to tell the
truth then" the attorney asked
him.
Because [ was living with my
wife on Mr.. Willard Connell's place,
and [ was afraid to tell anything but
what he told me to tell the witness
answered.
The entire morning Tuesday was
occupied with the examination Of
witnesses for. the defense. Phil
Moore, w4ro was on the stand when
court adjourned Monday, and was
the first witness introduced. testi-
fed taht Alexander worked on his
Moore said that Alexander worked
for him, but that the wages he was
to receive were to be paid. to Con-
nell. He said that certain state
ments he had made before the trial
were untrue, and taht he had made
them because he was afraid to tell
the truth then. He also explained
several things he is alleged to have
said before the trial by saying that
he was talking then, but that he
was Swearing now"
E. J. Scott testified to finding the
body of Alexander in the swamp,
near the Flint River in Pike county:
yards away they found the body.
At this juncture, Attorney Arnold
objected to testimony being offered
about the death of the negro, de-
claring that the case was not a muir
der case, and that any such refer
ence was entirely irrelevant. Mr..
Alexander said. however, that he
intended to show that the negro had
been killed by some other person
than Cap Chum.. and that he also
wanted to show how the negroes in
"Do you wish to show that the de-
PENDANTS might have had this negro
put out of the way?' Judge Sibley
asked him.
Ia. ~Th at what ! propose to show"
Attorney Arnold said that without
arguing the point, the defense wish
ed to go on record as objecting to
any such testimony being introduced.
Judge Sibley allowed Mr.. Alexander
to proceed
TELLS of Examination
Ernest Hawkins, former special
investigation for the department of
Justice, told of the exhumation of
the body of Alexander. He said that
the body was identified by a letter
and card case found in the coat peck
cts.
The prosecution Offered these ar
ticles as evidence, and Mr.. Hawkins
identified the shoes, belt, gloves and
letter as the same as were found on
Alexander.
A. M. wilkins. colored dentist of
Griffin, testified that he had done
some dental work for Alexander,
among other things, browning
tooth. He said that he did not know
which tooth nor did he have any
record of the work done.