Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-07
John s. Williams,
"Death Farm, %
On Trial for Life
By HUBERT E. BAUGMN
IL aft Cn,.rasnnndanf of The .Tn111.n,

Staff Correspondent of The Journal
CONVICTION, Ga, April 6.-With
the jury selected and all prelimi-
naries cleared away on Tuesday, the
first day of the trial of John S.
Williams, wealthy planter on trial
for his life as owner of the death
plantation" where eleven negroes
were murdered, Wednesdays session
was featured by the appearance on
the stand of Clyde Manning, negro
"trusty," whose sensational confess
sion Implicated Williams.
Unsuccessful arguments by coun-
sci for the defense, asking a post~gs
ponement of the trial, the disclosure
that a group of prominent At
lantians had retained the special
counsel assisting the prosecution,
and the empaneling of the jury, were
the principal developments on the
first day of the trial.
The state began to offer testimony
Wednesday morning by introducing
an agent of the department of justice
who had investigated alleged peonags
conditions on Williams farm. He
was followed by Manning, who add
ed many details to his story of how
the eleven negro farm hands were
made way with.
Following is a list of the jurors
who will decide the fate of the own"
er of the death plantation"
T. l.. Hill, farmer.
G. w. GOber, farmer.
Robert Stanton, farmer.
w. A. Pate, merchant.
Charles A. Cason, farmer.
w. G. Moore, farmer.
r. r. Starr, farmer.
Byron Thacker, grocery clerk.
F. G. Crowley, merchant.
J. T. Dennard, farmer.
j. E. Rawlins barber.
Reginald Robinson, druggist.
The story of how Lindsey
Peterson and Willie Preston. two
of the eleven negroes on the Jasper
county farm of John S. Williams, who
died mysteriously after federal
agents investigated alleged peonage
conditions there, were chained togeth-
er to a sack of rocks and thrown
alive into yellow river in. Newton
county, the jury trying Williams on
xa charge of the murder of Peter"
son, was told here today.
The testimony was given by Man.
ming, negro boss on Williams farm,
who said Williams aided in getting
the bound negroes out of the automo-
bile in which they were taken to the
d
federal agents visited the farm.
Manning and Charlie Chisholm, one
of the negroes who died later, threw
the men into the river, Manning saids
on orders of Williams.
'"They was stubborn and begging,
too, and me and Charlie rolled 'em
over the bannister of the bridge"
said Manning.
The negro who was jointly indict.
| ed with Williams told of the alleged
that he had been using, and showed
no emotion Later he nodded as the
attorneys argued point of law.
The "stockade'' on the Williams
farm was described by federal agents
as a little red house where negroes
bailed out of jails were held at night
to prevent their escape from peon-
age.
The prosecution won two points toe
day, after a hard fight by the de-
Tense. Judge John B. Hutchinson ruiz
ed that the state might INTRODUCES
testimony as to the alleged peonage
and also might go into the death OF
Harry Price, another OF the eleven
negroes it is alleged Williams had
killed The state desires to connect
up all of the eleven alleged muir
ders and felt it had set a precedent
for the other cases by the ruling
on Prices death. WV,
Leroy, Marvin and Huland Will
d,
whom Governor Dorsey has asked
murder indictments in connection
with some of the deaths of negroes,
were not in court again today, put
many other members of the Williams
family were. Williams said the three
would come in, he expected, but de-
clared he did not know where they
were today.
Williams watches Witness
Williams. who sat facing the wit.
Nod or n nIOCn1V
as the negro told his story and the
courtroom, crowded to capacity, was
silently attentive as the negro con-
tinued.
Mr.. Johnny told us to take them
out of the car" Manning said, re.
ferring to the defendant, and he
lifted out the sack of rocks"
The sack was chained to the me-
groes, Manning said. being attached
to a chain around their necks. They
were brought to the river thus
chained, he added.
"Their heads were tied together
with wires" Manning continued. I'VE
got in the car and carried Foot
Price to South river" Manning said
in answer to what was done after
Peterson and Preston were drowned.
"All right, boys, get out" Man.
ming quoted Williams as ordering.
Harry Price. he got out" con-
tinued Manning, "and says don't
throw me over, I'll get over and
he says Lord have mercy and went
over"
Price fell into about the middle of
the river from the bridge, Manning
CONTINUED on Page 8. Column 81