Albert Harlee, John Johnson, Isaiah Floyd Held in Murder Case, Dec. 29, 1924

Coroner’s Jury Orders 3 Negroes Held in Murder Case. . . Albert Harlee, John Johnson and Isaiah Floyd in Jail without Privilege of Bond—Evidence Contradictory Regarding Their Movement on the Night Mr. Arch Johnson Was Murdered—Harlee Admitted He Lied While Being Examined. . . Robbery Motive of Murder

Albert Harlee, John Johnson and Isiah Lloyd, all colored, are in jail here as the result of the verdict of the coroner’s jury which completed Saturday afternoon its investigation into the murder of Mr. Arch P. Johnson of Red Springs.

The negroes were ordered held by the jury after a long list of witnesses had been examined, which took practically all day. The differences and conflicts in the testimonies of the men and the fact that all three were tangled in their stories of their movements and whereabouts on Saturday night, December 20th, when Mr. Johnson was brutally murdered, prompted the jury in rendering its verdict that Mr. Johnson was killed by a wound on his head inflicted by a brick, and ordering the men held for higher court without privilege of bonds.

Much importance was attached to the statement of Harlee, who said that he went to Bennettsville, S.C., Sunday afternoon after the body was found, and that he returned home Wednesday night of his own accord, not knowing that officers were looking for him. His mother had testified that she went to Bennettsville after him and told him that the officers wanted him, and brought him back, arriving in Red Springs early Christmas morning. He testified that he went to Bennettsville to spend the holidays with his aunt. When recalled to the stand, he admitted that he had told a lie on the stand, and gave as a reason that he was scared to death.

Testimony Contradicted

Isaiah Lloyd and John Johnson both were contradicted in their testimony, Lloyd by several negroes in Red Springs who had no interest in the matter, and Johnson by his wife. Johnson stated that he did not know that Lloyd stayed all night at his house, and did not tell his wife to prepare a bed for him. His wife testified that her husband told her to prepare the davenport for Lloyd to sleep on that night and that she did, and the bed showed signs the next morning of someone having slept in it. Lloyd testified, and other witnesses corroborated it, that he was in Red Springs some time after dark. Johnson swore that Lloyd came to his house before sundown and stayed there until 11 o’clock that night, but he didn’t know if he stayed all night or left. Lloyd swore that he slept in the dining room across two chairs, which was contradictory to the evidence given by Johnson’s wife.

It is the consensus of opinion around Red Springs that Johnson has been making and selling whiskey for some time, and that Harlee is a mean negro. Lloyd seems to be a sort of mysterious negro, and is an employee of Flora Macdonald college.

Body Found Near Road

The details of the finding of the body of Mr. Johnson were published in last Monday’s Robesonian. It was found Sunday morning about 200 yards behind the N.A. Brown home, one mile east of Red Springs on the edge of a road. A brick had been used, which fractured the skull and apparently caused immediate death. A few dollars were found near his body and robbery is believed to have been the motive.

From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., Monday, Dec. 29, 1924

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