Covington, Ga., April 9—John S. Williams, accused of the murder of 11 of his negro farm hands to halt a federal investigation of peonage, was found guilty of murder by a jury in Newton county superior court here today and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Judge John B. Hutcheson had the defendant stand up and after repeating to him the verdict, added “And the verdict of the jury is the sentence of the court.”
The defendant, who had been cheerful before the jury came in, received the verdict outwardly calm, and when his wife and daughters began to sob almost audibly he seemed to be making a desperate effort to hide emotion.
Motion for a new trial was immediately filed and hearing on the motin set for April 30, at Decatur, Ga., before Judge John B. Hutcheson who presided at the trial.
The verdict of murder with recommendation for mercy, which under Georgia law automatically carries a life sentence, was read exactly 18 hours after the case went ot the jury, and was calmly received by Williams. A moment later, as his wife and children began to sob almost inaudibly he seemed to be struggling to restrain his own emotions. Just after court adjourned the man’s two daughters became hysterical and were led from the room by friends.
Williams appeared more affected by his family’s suffering, than he had been by the verdict. He was on trial charged specifically with the murder of one of the negroes found drowned in Newton County. Clyde Manning, negro farm boss for Williams and jointly indicted with him, testified that on Williams’ order he and another negro, afterwards killed, had done the killings.
Williams had maintained a cheerful attitude during the trial and had stoutly maintained his innocence, although having admitted he might be technically guilty of peonage, as he said he had paid fines with negroes and let them work out the debt.
Sentence was formally passed within a few moments after the verdict was announced. Judge Hutcheson re-stated the verdict as read by T.R. Starr, a farmer and foreman of the jury, and added: “And the verdict is the sentence of the court.”
The verdict was not in exact form, but in open court both sides agreed that it was legal by supreme court decisions and that no exception would be taken.
The motion for a new trial was made on the grounds that the verdict was “contrary to the evidence; contrary to the law and without evidence to support it.”
The jury was composed of seven farmers, the others being merchants, clerks and a barker. Most of the jurors were young men, six of them serving on a jury for the first time.
The case went to trial last Tuesday, one day being taken up with arguments for postponement and selection of the jury. The state took little more than a day to present its evidence while the defense relied solely on the unsworn statement of Williams.
From the front page of The Charlotte News, Saturday evening, April 9, 1921
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