The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-05
Judge Rules Georgia "Murder
Farm" Owner Must Be Tried.
Name of State Must Be Cleared,
Declares Prosecutor.
MANY GUARDS EMPLOYED
Defendant Enters Court Es.
cOrted by Armed Deputies.
Forty Witnesses To Be Called
by the State.

Covington, Ga, April 5.-Motion for
postponement of the trial of John s.
Williams, Jasper county farmer, for
murder on the ground of insufficient
time to prepare his defense was over
ruled by Judge John B. Hutcheson, in
Newton county superior court here to-
day.
The specific charge against Will
liams was the murder of Lindsey Pc
terson, one of eleven negroes on his
farm whose bodies recently were
found.
Defense Scores Victory.
The defense scored when an ad-
journment of court was forced one
hour and forty-five minutes after il
convened.
An adjournment was taken to all
low the prosecution to secure from
Gov. Dorsey at Atlanta, by telephone,
the names of a number of interested
citizens" who employed former Con-
gresham w. NJ. Howard to aid the
state and Marvin Underwood to rep
resent Clyde Manning, negro, "trusty''
on Williams's plantation and con-
fessed chief executioner" on the
death farm
Defense counsel demanded this in
formation before proceeding with the
/ selection of a jury.
When court reconvened, Howard
] declared Gov. Dorsey had authorized
him to make public the names of c.
| 3. Wilmer and Ashby Jones of At
lanta, as the Interested citizens"
! Must Clear State Name.
i Court House, Covington, Ga. April
5.-"Georgia's good name must be
cleared of this blot-negro peonage.
We must show the world that this
state does not approve it. Swift JUS
! tice must be meted out to the guilty."
! With this declaration. Assistant So
| licitor General A. NJ Brand today
| S. Williams, wealthy Jasper county
planter, who is charged with holding
negroes as slaves and killing them
when they "squealed.''
Defendant Is Guarded.
Williams, a huge man. surrounded
by armed deputies. entered the little
red court house shortly before the
first session opened. In addition to
his guards. there were twenty more
| officers scattered thru the crowd
| ready to shoot if trouble started.
| Clyde Manning, the negro Simon Le-
gree" of Williamss plantation, was
also heavily guarded. He has turned
states evidence but is charged with
numbering three negro slaves at Will
, liams'S command"
| SThe court house was surrounded by
a crowd of disappointed farmers and
Villagers unable to force their way in
: side One hundred men, mostly farm
ers, were on hand for jury duty.
Call Forty Witnesses.
! The state expects to call forty wit
nesses, it was learned, in an effort
to prove that Williams operated a
{ death farm" where ignorant negroes
/ purchased from the jails by his
payment of their fines were worked
under the lash of black overseers
and ruthlessly slain when they tried
to escape or complain to the authorf-
ties.
Assistant States Attorney Graham
Wright of Rome and former Repre-
sentative Howard of Augusta, to-
gether with Brand, led the prosecu-
! tion. Greene F. Johnston, w. H Key
and c. c. King were Williams's coun-
sci.
Williams was on trial today
charged with numbering Lindsey
Peterson, Willie Preston and Harry
Price, negroes whose manaclec
bodies were found on the banks ot
the Yellow river. Eight other bodie.
were later found on the plantation. il
is charged.