The following item taken from the News and Observer will be of interest to a number of our readers, because of the fact that the case was occasioned by the death in an automobile accident of B. B. Johnson, a Johnston county man.
Willie Blaylock, white youth of Panther Branch township, who was charged with manslaughter following the death of his uncle, B. B. Johnson, who was killed in an automobile ancient several weeks ago, was discharged from custody yesterday following a hearing before magistrate L. M. Waring. Blaylock had been held in $1,000 bail ever since his arrest several weeks ago.
Jackson Willis, negro, whose car collided with one driven by Blaylock, was held for the Wake grand jury in $200 bail after Justice Waring had heard the evidence in Blalock’s case. Willis is charged with manslaughter.
Misses Vivian and Violet Johnson, daughters of the dead man, and Bill Lawson, who was riding in the car with Blaylock, Johnson and the latter’s two daughters, testified that Blaylock was not to blame for the fatal accident, but that the negro was to blame.
They testified that Willis was driving his car at a “fast rate of speed” on the “left hand side of the road” on the night of the fatal accident. They said that Willis switched on bright lights on his car as he neared the one driven by Blaylock, and that the negro, to avoid a collision, swerved his car to the right with the result that the cars crashed.
The crash served to cause Blaylock, according to the witnesses, to lose control of his car. The result was that Blaylock’s car left the road and crashed into a telephone pole. Johnson, who was riding on the front seat with Blaylock, was thrown out of the ar and so seriously injured that he died en route to a local hospital.
Following an inquest, Coroner-Magistrate Waring ordered Blaylock’s arrest on a warrant charging manslaughter. But Blaylock had fled his accustomed premises and officers were unable to find him.
Two weeks after the warrant had been issued for his arrest, Blaylock accompanied by his brothers and two friends, walked into the office of Mr. Waring and surrendered. He was placed under $1,000 bond.
The fatal wreck occurred about two months ago on the Old State road in Panther Branch township.
From the front page of the Smithfield Herald, Oct. 26, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073982/1926-10-26/ed-1/seq-1/
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