Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1949-10-28
willie MCGEE Must Not Be Murdered.
Ills Story Must Be Told"
FACT SHEET ON WILLIE MCGEE CASE

On June 1919 before he was scheduled to be
eeerocued by the State of Mississippi attorneys for the Civil
Rights Congress lasmnute stay of execution for Willie
MCGEE
The stay granted by Mississippi Supreme Court to
permit motion for review of the be taken to
the Supreme Court of the United States.
Willie MCGEE had three times been convicted and three
times sentenced to death for the alleged of mddeaged
white woman The Civil Rights Congress had three times
an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court.
On October 10, 1919 the u S. Supreme Court refused to
consider the notion
Rights Congress has since filed another ask
ing the Supreme Court reconsider its refusal
Willie MCGEE a Negro, "a years DID, excl, from LAUREL
Miss, father of four children, the eldest He worked
truck driver for the Laurel Wholesale CO. the time of his
arrest.
On November g. 1915 middle-aged white woman in LAUREL
Mrs Troy Hawkins claimed that she had been raped by
with knky hair who wore Tsirt She gave no other den
fcation.
The socaled rape allegedly place o'clock in the
morning while sick child slept in her bed and her husband
and two children asleep in two adjoining rooms.
reign of terror against the Negro community launch
ed Immediately.
Ignoring the he could possibly at the
of the alleged crime three police officers picked up
MCGEE, beat him brualy and threatened him to
lynch mob if he did not sign Confession
First Trial
MCGEE carried speechess helpless under
escort of state militia December 1915 The militia
manned on guard in the court house which surrounded by
a huge crowd threatening to lynch Niece.
MCGEE defended by court-apponted attorneys They
unable confer with him of his state shock
and him real defense The jury found him guilty after
being out Just minutes and he electro
cued.
The National Federation For Constitutional Liberties since
merged with the Civil Rights Congress- then case
and appealed ii to the Mississippi Supreme Court which,
June TO- 1916 ordered trial the grounds there
should have been change of
Second Trial
The second trial started October T. 1916 with refusal
to grant change of but finally granted
the trial judge refused ito behind the guns sold
iers The second trial took November in
Ilaesburg and Niece again found guilty sentenced
| to death.
The Civil Rights Congress appealed the Supreme
which February 1917 again threw the conviction and
ordered third trial the grounds that Negroes had been
eluded from the grand and Petit iures.
In the meantime district attorney had elected
in Jones county in which Laurel is situated Ills campaign
slogan promise to rush MCGEE the chair MCGEE was
reindicted and trial ordered March 3, 1913
| Third Trial
Again, Negroes excluded from the Jury and lynch
mob atmosphere pemeated the The local defense
counsel advised that they danger mob violence asked
the judge for protection but he refused grant They
forced to leave the by deputy sherfs with
the jury MCGEE again found guilty again senen-
ced to die The Civil Rights Congress appealed the Mississippi
Supreme Court which this time upheld the trial
| court.
While awaiting U. Supreme Court decision The
Cvl Rights Congress is asking members of Trade unions
Church groups Negro peoples and all Americans
to write and wire Gov. Fielding Wright Jackson Miss asking
executive cemency for Willie MCGEE.
Il