“Herb” Murphy, last year’s manager of the Charlotte baseball club, who was a visitor to the city last week, underwent harrowing experiences in Jasper County, Georgia, the scene of the recent peonage atrocities, it became known here Monday. Murphy, his wife and new baby were among those wo fled from the rural sections, near the Williams farm, when a report of a negro uprising came to them from officer of the law.
Murphy, his wife and baby rode with a number of others in an automobile to a place of safety one night, with men standing on the running board of the car armed with pistols and rifles to protect the women and children. Murphy previously had been present at the time of the discovery of a number of bodies of murdered negroes.
When Murphy was here last week he confided to a few friends that he had just undergone thrilling experiences while he and his family were visiting friends on a farm adjoining the Williams farm. His known reticence prevented more than a limited number from learning that he had just come from te section that is now attracting national attention because of the sensational revelations.
Murphy told a friend that one night shortly after supper a message came to the home where he and family were staying, urging that all the whites get to a town immediately, as negroes had formed for an uprising. Murphy said there was but one automobile available, but that this was loaded to the utmost capacity, with four men standing on the running boards, and sitting on the hood of the car, armed to the hilt to protect the passengers in the car.
The automobile reached the point of safety without mishap, and the uprising failed to materialize to a point of attack on whites. Something like 200 negroes did form, it is understood, but there was no move to attack white settlers.
Murphy left the impression among a few intimate friends here that there is no sympathy in Williams’ neighborhood for him or any others who may be connected with the killing of negroes. The former Hornet pilot was rather of the opinion that a good many white people would like to give all the help possible toward convicting the guilty parties. He even suggested that some would have objection to a negro posse forming and stringing up the men who are responsible for the murders.
There was a suggestion here Monday that Murphy might be called back to Georgia as a witness in the case, as he was present when some of the bodies were discovered and knows a good deal about the matter.
From The Charlotte News, Monday, April 4, 1921. John Williams, the neighboring farmer referred to in this article, was found guilty of murdering Negroes he had illegally kept prisoner and forced to work on his farms. When authorities were investigating, he had the men killed so they couldn’t testify about the illegal peonage. There was never any Negro uprising.
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