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Sunday, March 28, 2021

Case Against John Williams, Accused of Murdering Negroes to Cover Up Federal Investigation of Peonage at His Plantation, April 6, 1921

Description of Stockade Given in Williams Trial. . . Department of Justice Agents First Witnesses; Are Followed by Manning

Covington, Ga., April 6—Lindsay Peterson and Willie Preston, two of the 11 negroes on the Jasper County farm of John S. Williams, who died mysteriously after Federal agents investigated alleged peonage conditions there, were chained together to a sack of rocks and thrown alive into the Yellow River in Newton County, the jury trying Williams on a charge of murder of Peterson was told here today.

The testimony was given by Manning, negro boss on Williams’ farm, who said Williams aided in getting the bound negroes out of the automobile in which they were taken to the river one night about a week after Federal agents visited the farm.

Manning and Charlie Chisholm, one of the negroes who died later, threw the men into the river, Manning said, on orders of Williams.

“They was stubborn and begging, too, and me and Charlie rolled ‘em over the banisters of the bridge,” said Manning.

The negro, who was jointly indicted with Williams, told of the alleged occurrence in a very low voice and showed no emotion. Later he nodded as the attorneys argued a 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 peonage.

The prosecution won two points today after a hard fight by the defense. Judge John B. Hutchison ruled the state might introduce testimony as to the alleged peonage and also might to into the death of Harry Price, another of the 11 negroes it is alleged Williams had killed. The state tried to connect up all the 11 alleged murders and felt it had set a precedent for the other cases by the ruling on Price’s death.

Leroy, Marvin and Huland Williams, sons of the defendant, for whom Governor Dorsey had asked murder indictments in connection with some of the deaths of negroes, were not in court again today. Williams said he expected the three would come in, but declared he did not know where they were today.

Williams, who sat facing the witness chair, watching Manning closely as the negro told his story and the courtroom, crowded to capacity, was silently attentive as the negro continued.

‘Mr. John told us to take them out of the car,” Manning said, referring to the defendant, “and he lifted out the sack of rocks.”

The sack was chained to the negroes, Manning said, being attached to a chain round their necks. They were brought to the river thus chained, he added.

“Their hands were tied together with wires,” Manning continued. “We 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,” Manning quoted Williams as saying.

“Harry Price, he got out,” continued 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 said, with a sack of rocks chained ot his neck.

“I held the weight off his neck while he got out of the car,” Manning said.

Manning said the three negroes were lured away from the farm on the pretense that they were to be taken to a train and allowed to go home.

Before they left, Manning said, Williams, referring to the peonage investigation, told him:

“It won’t do for these boys to go up yonder and swear against me. It would ruin me. They got to be done away with. If you don’t want to do it, it just means your neck or theirs.”

Manning also said that he had kept negroes fastened up at night in the stockade.

George W. Brown and A.J. Whisnant, the first two witnesses for the state, told the jury that, when they went to the Williams place February 19, last, they found a red house about 30 or 40 feet long and 25 feet wide with wooden shutters that could be barred on the outside and doors that holes cut in them for locks and chains. Inside one of the two rooms to the house, Brown said, were bunks along the walls while in the other was a bed and cot. There were evidences that cooking had been done in the house, Brown said. The court overruled a motion of defense to rule out all testimony as to peonage.

The two department of justice agents were investigating complaints of peonage and reports of aid to Williams in keeping the negroes by Clyde Manning, negro farm boss, who told the grand jury he and another negro killed 11 negroes for Williams to block the peonage investigation.

“John S. Williams told me he might have violated the peonage law but that he did it unintentionally,” Brown said, describing his visit last February.

Leroy Williams, one of the sons of the defendant, was carrying a pistol the day the federal investigators went to the farm, they said. Efforts by the state to show Leroy Williams had killed a negro were ruled out, but Judge John B. Hutcheson held he would allow the state to introduce such evidence as would “outline a motive” on John S. Williams’ part.

Clyde Manning followed the federal agents on the stand and to answer the court he would not have to answer any questions that might incriminate him. The court offered to advise him whenever he asked and E. Marvin Underwood, retained by citizens to represent the negro, also was present.

On direct examination of Manning, the state took up much time in bringing from him the names of all Williams’ children and names of all negroes on the farms of Williams and his sons.

Describing the death of Lindsey Peterson, Manning declared Peterson and Willie Preston were brought into Newton County chained together to a hundred pounds of rock and tossed into Yellow River from Allen’s bridge.

Williams drove the automobile that carried the party and helped get the bound negroes out of the car. The witness said Charlie Chisholm and Manning were the ed (words missing) by Williams to throw the negroes into the river. They were bound together by trace chains around their necks and wires around their hands, he added.

“They were stubborn and begging too,” Manning said in a cool voice, “and me and Charlie rolled them over the banister into the river.”

The state tried to show through Manning that Harry Price, also a negro farm hand, was drowned the same night in another river. The defense objected and the jury was excluded while the point was argued.

The defense’s objection was overruled and court recessed until 1:30 p.m.

From the front page of The Charlotte News, Wednesday evening, April 6, 1921. In previous articles John Williams’ son’s name was spelled LeRoy. I don’t know which is correct.

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