®je Jdonnt |
ESTABLISHED 18 SO MOUNT AIRY. NORTH CAR.W.INA THURSPW
GEORGIA JURY RETURNS
A VERDICT OF GUILTY
J. S. Willi*ma. Who U Alleged
To Ha** Caused Doath Of
11 Ntfrovi, SmtMctd
< ovinfton, Ga., April 9.—John S
William*. Jasper county farmer, waa
taken to Atlanta and placed In Jail
today to await action April 30 on hit
motion for a new trial which w*
made here today Immediately after h<
wu convicted and wiit»nc»d to Ufa
imprisonment on a charge of murder
He iiprfwd confidence ha woulil
Anally ha cleared of the chargea.
The trial waa the drat one ariaini
from accusation* that Willlama cau»
ad tha kltllnir of 11 nerro farm handa
after department of Juatlce amenta
had started to Inveatigate altered
penpag* chargaa on hi* farm February
IB, taat. Three negroe*. including
l.imiaey Peterson, whom he waa aped
•rally charged with killing, at tha
trial ending today, were altered tc
have been brought into Newton countj
and drowned.
The other eight negroes war* de
clared by Manning, negro farm boaa
and aelf-eonfeaaed accomplice, to hava
keen killed in Jaaper county and In
quiry by the rrand jury with a view
to Indicting Willlama and three of hi,
anna la to open there Monday.
Willlama appeared to take hia con
viction calmly hut when hli wife and
daughter* broke into aoba. their griei
affected him and he atruggled to hid<
kia emotions aa he aought to comfort
them. Ha was allowed to Remain In
(ha courtroom with them for 10 or 11
aninutea before being taken to Atlanta
Date for trial of Willlama on th«
ether two Indictments here has not
been set nor hu the court announced
when Manning will be tried, although
R waa Indicated the negro would fact
• Jury before the regular term. Coun
ael for Willlama hold that he cannot
be tried on the indictment charging
murder of Willie Preston, whose body
waa found chained to that of Peter
son, bat the state contends the Indict
ment resulting from the death of
Preeton la • ae pa rate on* and that ha
fenae contend the drowning of Peter
eon and Praaton waa ana act.
NEGRO FARM BOSS TELLS
OF FART HE TOOK
IN KILLINGS
Covington, G(., April 6.—Fur fot
kia own life «u the motive that
frompted Clyde Muuilnf, negro farm
koM, to help kin 11 negro farm hands
employed on the Ja*per county planta
tion of John S. Wlllianu, the negro
told the Jury trying William* In New
ton eounty auperior court here today.
Manning aaaerted on cro»«-examina
tion ha' did not want to help kill them
feat «u afraid to diaobey William*,
who, ha declared, waa trying to dc
away with the negroe* for fear they
might teetify regarding peonage con
dition* on the William* farm.
"They waant abothering me," *aU
Manning, a coal-black, *hort, ttockily
built man of about 150 pound*, "and
I didn't want to get 'em out of th«
way," but, he added, a few momenti
later, "Mr. Johnny *aid, 'It's theii
necka or your*.'"
The negroe* met death ihortly aftai
federal authoritie* started an inveati
gation of alleged peonage on the farm
aiz of them, according to Manning, be<
ing chained to rocka and thrown aliv«
into river*, and Ave knocked in th<
head or ahot and buried on the farm
Williama is on trial charged witl
the murder of Lindaey Peterson. on<
•f three of the negroe* alleged to havi
bean brought into Newton county and
drowned. The defense aonght to con
ftne the witneaa to his account of Pe
taraon's death and to bar him and tw<
federal agents from testifying to peon
age condition*. Judge John B. Hut
oheaon overruled both motion* an<
Green O. Johnson, chief couneel foi
Williams, indicated he would appea
•n these ground* to highar courts ii
•vent of conviction of William*.
"Wall Drilled." Williams Commenta
Throughout an hour of croes-exam
illation the negro, who waa indicte<
Jointly with William*, atolidly denie<
any praasure had been brought to bea
an him to make him UU the story, i
waa only after long queationing b;
•Acer*, he aaid, that he flrat told hii
etory, hot ha denied ha had been beat
en, threatened with drowning or
promiaed a light aentenc* if he wouV
help convict William*, as the lat^gr'
roonael intimated.
"I'm Juat telling the truth," Man
a ing told the attorney, and added tk*
he had not talked when flrat arrcat*
"beeaaae Mr. Johnny told me not M,
"Well drilled," waa the only eon
mcnt that could be obtained from Wil
li tuna after the trial. Ha had watched
tha witneea cloaaly throughout tha
<\my, and on one occasion a ml lad broad
ly whan Manning deacrihed how. In Ma
attempt to operate hia employer's
automobile, ha had rnn Into a mail
ho*.
Huland. Marvin and Leroy William*,
sons at the defendant. for 'whom Gov
ernor Hugh Doraey haa asked Indict
meets In Jasper county when the
i-ra'id Jury there takes up on April
| It investigation of the deaths of the
j eight ntfniti in that county, war*
not in court air*in today, hut Dr. Gue
William*, the oldest Hon, flatly dent>d
raport* they had left the state. They
I probably will attend the trial later,
| he (aid.
The state put up four other wit
nesses he aide* Manning—two federal
agents; Clyde Freeman, a negro farm
hand, and a negro woman rook, and
waa expected to conclude Ha caaa by
tomorrow night. The defense indicated
if would conclude ita testimony in
| ihogt one day and that the case should
go to the jury Saturday.
Manning Telia About Murders
Manning waa the state's chief wit
< n.-a* and during his testimony the
1 courthouse was packed to capacity,
Judge Hutrheaon permitting all who
could to stand in aislea and around the
bar after all seats had been Ailed. The
I court asked for order and again today,
! as waa the caaa yesterday, there waa
! hardly a murmur from tha crowd as
1 men and women leaned forward to
'catch every word.
Manning aeemed little affected by
hla recital, and rarely changed the in
flection of his voice. He ia unable to
r»ad or'wTite, he said, and gave hla
age as about 29 years but did not
know where he waa bom.
"When I first rem >mber myself," he
said. "I was in Jasper county."
During some three houn of direct
examination the negro told In detail
of the alleged murder of the 11 ne
groea, giving his deacription In aim
• pleat word*. He waa not aakad to de
I scribe the alleged binding of the ne
| gro<>a who wore drowned bat told how
farm hand, whom he said ha later
helped Willtaine drown.
I glngManning uld of the death of
Peteraon mnd Willi* Pwton, "ami me
and Charlie rolled 'em over the bannis
ter of the bridge."
These and the other* killed, he laid,
i had been lured away from the farm by
William* on the pretext that they
were betnK taken to train* and would
be allowed to return to their home* in
Atlanta or Macon, where they had
been taken from jail by William* pay-'
ing their flne*. Peteraon and Pre*ton,
he said, were bound together by a
trace chain around their neck* to
which waa faitened a lack containing
I about 100 pound* of rocka. Their
hand* were bound together by wire,
he laid. William* wa* preaent and
drove the automobile in which the ne
groes were carried, Manning testified.
Harry Price, another negro taken
to be drowned, jumped off the bridge
himielf, Manning said, when he found
there wa* no hope for him.
"Don't throw me over; P11 get over,"
Manning quoted Price a* laying, and
added that the negro, with a cry of
"Ixird have merry," flung himself into
the river.
Manning then went into detail* of
the alleged murder of other negro en,
declaring one known on the farm only
ai "Little Bit," waa induced to help
lift "Red Brown, another negro, over
the river bridge railing on the pretext
that William* merely wanted to
"acare" Brown. The latter, already
weighted down, wa* dropped into the
river, Manning said, and then he Help
ed *end ' Little Bit" to the same fate.
Another farm hand known only aa
"Big John," wa* induced to help dig
hi* own grave on the pretenae that he
wa* digging a well, and when the hole
wai about shoulder deep, Manning
testified, Charlie Chisholm knocked
the negro in the head and Chlaholm
filled the hole. Manning continued hi*
testimony until he had described each
alleged murder in detail. Fffort* on
I rrom examination to make Manning
II say he had been told by federal agents
' he was as "guilty as Williams was"
: were met with deniali by the negro,
1 but he admitted he "lied to federal
I agenta when he told them ha was not
> farm boaa. Ha also declared William*
waa preaent at the killings whea de
I fanaa counsel sought to make him ad
l mlt he was the instigator In the kill
ings. He told defenae counsel, too, that
• on one oecaaion ha triad to Ixaak
I away" from the Williams plage, when
I he ha* worked for the last 14 year*
' bat said, "Mr. Johnny jumped on m«
• and I sint Mad it ao mora." *
»
IMPORTANT NOTES ARE
DISPATCHED BY HUGHES
Tk*y Art Sent To Britain,
Japan, Franc* and Italy
Washington, April The Amerl
• an government, although not ■ part)
to the treaty of Versailles, ha* Sur
rendered none of Ita rights in the over
st-a* poeeessiona of (W-rmnny «nurr<:
to the principal allied and aaaociatr<j
power* by that treaty, tkt govern
menta of Japan, Great Britain, Pranc«
and Italy are informed by Secretarj
Hughes in aimilar notes ilenpatched b)
tha atate department laat Monday.
HpeclAcally, the communication!
deal with tha award to Japan by th«
Huprema round! at Pirii, May 7, 1919
of a mandate over the ialand of Yap
an important rahle renter In tha Pari
fie ocean, and Mr. Hughaa aay* thi
American government "truata that
thia action, which It mutt aniumr wai
taken under a misapprehension, wil
ha rtyon side red ."
The notea are tha first important
diplomatic communlrations penne*
by tha new secretary of atata, ant
thay maka It plain that tha chanra ol
adminiatrationa in Washington hai
resulted in no modification of the pre
vioua poaition of the United Statoi
that, aa one of tha principal contribu
tors to the common victory over Gar
many, it muat inaiat upon tha exerciaa
of ita full righta In the diapoaltion ol
the former German ^maaessions
Only one of tha comraunicationa—
that to Great Britain—waa made pub
lie. Thoae to Prance and Italy are un
derstood to he aubatantlally the aam<
but the atata department, in firing
out the note to the London foreigr
office tonight, explained that the not«
to Japan contained "additional para
graphs referring to previous corre
spondence between the two govern
ments." It adde<t that the correspond
ence with To <lo "is not made public a1
this time." but no official explanation
waa forthcoming.
Note D«ahi With Tap. .
The not* to Japan la in reply to om
Btd powwn wtrt lopplMMNtal I® pre
vioua note* on thia —hjsct from th«
United Stataa to thoee governments
and alao to the council of the league oi
nationa. The aeriea waa begun by Sec
retary Colby November 9, after th«
international communications confer
ence had convened here to dispose
Anally of the former Gorman cablea
seised by the alliea at the outbreak oi
the war.
Asserting that "there could be nc
valid or effective disposition of th<
'overseas poaaeaaion of Germany, now
under consider*tion, without the as
sent of the United States," Secretary
Hughes points out mat the treaty oi
Veraalllea does not "purport to securs
to Japan or any other nation any right
in the overseas poaseasinns of Ger
many aave as an equal right therein
should be secured to the United
States"
"6n the contrary," he aaya, "articli
119 of the treaty of Veraaillea pro
vides: 'Germany renounces in favor oi
the principal allied and associated
powers all her righta and titlea ovei
her oversea* possessions-' It will not
he questioned that one of the 'princi
pal allied and aaaociated powers' ir
whose favor Germany renounces hei
righta and titles ia the United St*£ee
Thus not only the poaition of the gov
eminent of Japan derivea no stren^ft
from the treaty of Veraaillea or from
and diacuasions preliminary thereto
but the terms of the treaty confirm
the poaition of the government of th<
United Statea."
Referring to contentions previouslj
raised that the supreme council at
Paris, during the drafting of the trea
ty of Veraaillea, agreed to a mandate
over Yap for Japan, Mr. Hughea calli
attention to the fact that President
Wilson had already made, in the pre
vious meetings of the supreme counci
on three separate occasions, reaerva
tiona regarding the Pacific island.
Qeotee Mr. Wilson
The secretary then quotes from i
letter from President Wilaon to thi
state department, March S, in whiel
he declarea that he had taken th<
poaition that the ialand of Yap shouK
be internationalised for cable pur
poses. Mr. Wilaon goes on to aay thai
he never abandoned or modified pit.
poaition and did not agree. May 7
1919, or at any other time, that ttx
ialand ahould be included in the so
signment of mandates to Japan.
Mr. Hughea quo tea the former Pre#
ident further:
"As a matter of fact, all agreement
arrived at regarding the aaaignmen
of mandates were conditional upoa i
aubaaquent Rfrwmint being reached
aa to thr specific tirmi of the iran
datoa and, further upon their Mupt
ance by each ot the principal nlllad
it nd uiorl«N power*."
Dwltrlni that thr United St* tea
"has nrvi-r vested either the supreme
council or tha league of nation* with
any authority to bind tha United Htat
or to act In ita behalf," tha aecre
tary of state aaya "thin (<iv«rnm*nt
mint inaiat that it haa not loat ita
riifht or Intereat aa It existed prior
'o any action of tha supreme council
or tha la«irue of ^nation* and cannot
recognize the allocation of tha ialand
or tha validity of tha mandate to
Japan."
SwMpinf Reductions In Raal
Estate Values
Raleigh. April 8.— Sweeping reduc
tion of property valuaa in wma of tha
countlea of tha atata undar tha author
ity of tha laat aeaaion of tha general
aaaemhly ware made by county con
miaaionara and appraisers, sitting aa
county boards of review yeatarday,
aome ranging aa high aa <10 par cant
on farm property. Several countlea,
including Wake, deferred action.
The Wilaon county commissioner*
authorized a horizontal reduction of
sixty per cent in value of fanp proper
ty and thirty-three and a third in town
property; Wayne county, tbirty-tbfee
and a third par rent reduction In farm
valuaa and sixteen and two-third* par
cent in town property; Vance county,
thirty three and a third per cent re
i duct ion. Duplin county commiaaionera
authorized a revaluation of county
real property.
The Wake County Commiaaionera
and the County Board of Commiaaion
k>ns sitting aa a board of review yea
terday had the appeal of farmers and
their representative* for a reduction
of fifty per cent in the valuation of
farm property In Wake county, con
sidered the matter later in executive
aeaaion and deferred action until to
day. «
I Page Has Plans Reedy For 217
Monday to organise, Commissioner
Freak Page will lay toton the body
plans for tlx immediate construction
of 217 miles of "hard surfaced and
other dependable highways" sut ho ril
ed under the Dough ton-Connor-Bowie
road law appropriating Afty millions
of dollars.
Surveys have been made and plans
an ready to let for this 'beginning on
the 6,600-mile program contemplated
by the general assembly when it gsvo
its ok to the big bond issue. It Is the
prevailing opinion that the commission
will recommend that three or four
million dollars he borried at once for
beginning construction on short term
notes in anticipation of the isle of
the first ten million bonds.
In the western section of the state,
Rutherford county will get ftifteen
miles of the total now ready for work
to begin, this stretch representing the
county's unfinished portion of the
Wilmington-Charlotte and Asheville
highway. Seven and one-half miles ars
in Jackson snd seventeen in McDowell,
both on the central highwsy while five
miles In Mitchell is on the crest of the'
Blue Ridge highway. Mscon county,
gets nine and s half miles of "non de
script" roads and Moore county gett
eight miles on the Raleigh and Char
lotte highwsy. Ten miles of the 217
will pass through Henderson and eight |
through Alleghany, the county of!
Doughton—"noblest Roman of them I
all."—R. E. Powell, In Chsrlotte Ob-1
server. I
Memorial Trees Planted
To Service Men Who Fell
Rocky Mount, April 9.—Memorial j
trees to Rocky Mount snd Nash court-j
ty service men who gave their lives in |
the world war have been planted
around the Confederate monument at j
the entrance of Riverside park and
will be dedicated with appropriate ax- i
ercises on Memorial day, May 10, ac
cording to plans which are being;
worked out by Bethel Heroes chapter,
U. D. C., which has charge of the pro- {
Ject. ,
Ten trees have already been set out,
snd additional ones win be planted if
the Daughters find out that the num
ber of gold star men in the city and
county require It. For this reason, as
well as for the reason that the organ
, I cation wishes to get the full names
i of the service men who mads the su
preme sacrifice so the markers mayj
be secured for the trees, the relatives
. of these war harass are requested to
get la communication with Mrs. H. R.
I Brewer, acting chairman of the nena
t ment committee, and sepply her wttfc
i the desired lihiMlliii
PROVISIONS OF THE 1,
N. C. BLUE SKY LAW
CommiMioMT Ihum Uttir To
Supromo Court Jwdtoa Ask
ing TKoir Co^ptraHaa
The "Slur shy" salesman ha* bean
seemingly a neceaaary evil m North
Carolina, and we doubt vary much
whether ur not hie day haa yet paaaed.
However, oar general imnembly haa
taken Horn* precautionary measure* to
iruard againut hi* nefarious opera
tion* hy paaaing a law regulating hla
movement*. Stacy W Wada, Insur
ance r»mmi*slnner. haa alao decided
that tha public muat he made ac
quainted with thfc provlaiona of M. .
law. Max Ahernathy, writing froai
Ralelirh the 5th, regarding thia law,
.imong other thin**, aaya:
"Insurance Commissioner 8. W.
Wada haa written «uperior court
judges In tha atate aaklng for their
support In enlightening tha public aa
to the Blue Sky law.
"Fearing that the state would again
be invaded hy aaleamen who would
*eek to peddle atoek of • queationable
value, the rnmqtlaaioner aaks the sup
nort of the judges and all court of
ficial* in *uppre*afhg the growing
evil. Tha letter to the judge* follow*:
"The sale of stocks of queationable
value A our ritixens. especially farm
er*. during the year i920 waa so gen
eral and the resulta so disastrous, that
I am calling for every poaaibla aid In
an effort to curb the unscrupulous
work of Rhie Sky salesmen and give
our people a correct view of thee* sup
posed investments.
"Since it ia largely a work of edu
cation I trust 1 am. not aaking too,
much to request that you will in your
charge* to tha Jury take every oppor-1
tunlty to raiphaaise the need for a
thorough investigation before pur
chasing theee stocks.
"The recent legislature vary much
strengthened our taw In reference to
the salaa of theae stocks. Tha support
of the officers of tha courts and tha
court haa ia tha P*»t hosn gratifying!
giuwlwg erfl."
Commiaaioner Wade has already re
ceived several answers to the letters
which Indicate that tha judgea intend
to do their part In putting an end to
the "wildcatters" In North Carolina.
I<ast year the farmer* ia eaatera
Norgi Carolina particularly ware
fleeced of thouaandt of dollars hy dia- i
reputable stock salesmen. Tha insur
ance commiaaioner deairea to make
thia impoesible in 1921 or in any other
one year." # ^
200 Bond Meaauraa Ptwed By
CcMftl Aucmbly
Two hundred bond Iuumi, aggregat
ing approximately $100,000,000, two
third* of which, or $64,246,000, were
for State purpoaea and the remainder
largely for roontiea and school dts
trlcta, were authorised by the 1921
session of the general aaaembly, ac
cording; to Arum compiled by W. L.
Dowell, city clerk of Raleigh, aaya the
Newa A Observer.
The bondi authorized for State pur
poaea Include 950,000,000 for the con
struction of a ayatem of hard-surfaced
roada; $0,746,000 for the permanent,
enlargement of the educational inati-!
tutlons of the State; $5,000,000 far a
"special building fund" to be loaned
by the State to county board* of edu
cation to aid In the erection of school,
building*, and $4,600,000 of per!
cent ihort term note*
The authorised bond* for the corn
tie*, eitles and districta are for a va
riety of purposes, with school*, roada
and indebtedneaa having their credit
140 of the approximately 200 bond
billa.
There were fifty road billa authoris-.
ing a total of $18,776,000, or average
per bill of $3.16,000; 69 school bills
authorising a total of $6,706,000, or
an average of nearly $97,000 per bill;
SI billa for indebtedneaa, either float
ing funding or refunding, which aa-i
thorised a total iasuanee of M337.000,
or an average of aomething better
than $^25,000 per bill.
Wilson Commiaaionors Ratface
Valuation
Wilson, April A number of citi
zens from ail parts of the county ap
peared before the county ocommlaaton
er* today and aaked that the aaaeaa
menta made under the recent revalua
tion act he reduced.
The rommieatoner* In rseponae Se
theee requeeta decided to order a re
duction tn the revaluation of farm
laali* J* M iW ■
piupervj wnKn lncrucMsa vof propvny
In k»wa eataUi the city e# WHbm N
per cent •
IUDGE J. C. PRITCHARD
PASSES AWAY AFTER
A L1CER1NG ILLNESS
Dm* Of JwM
Occurred Early Sunday
Asheville, April 10 — Federal Judge
leter (.'onlay Pritchard. of the t'aited
States circuit court f>r the fourth (te
lnet, died hem this morning at •
:>'clock, following an illness of wveral
months. Death of the famous jurist
«•a duo directly to paau ioaia, which
irvelnped Thnndajr and served to sg
irrsvats hi* previous physical affiir
una. He waa in hia Mth year.
For more than 4M hours previous to
Mil death he had been unconsstous aad
while medical ex pert a ex* nod ovary
effort to itra hia Ufa, the dlssaaa eon
tinuod to faaton ita grip. Whlla Ms
de«th waa not unexpected thia Bon
ing, it waa a great ahock to maiuhaaa
of the family who had kept constant
vigil at his bedside
The funeral ssr»ksa will he haU
Tuesday afternoon at S o'clock frost
the First Baptist church of this dig,
nt which the distinguished jurist had
long been a leading member TW
body will lie in state from 11 a. m. te
1 p. m. Tuesday. Rev. Dr. W. F. Pow
rll, pastor of the church, will ha*a
charge of the services and hs will ha
■isisted by several other wall knows
itvtnes.
It ia being planned here today te
have all business in this city stoppai
Tor 10 minutes aa the funeral »»i ilaaa
begin, in token of loving reapact hr
the dead official.
Maasagea have been pouring in kan
today from all sections of the United
States expressing sorrow at Judge
Pritchard's death.
Judge Pritchard, son of Wm. H.
Pritchard, was born la Joneabolu,
Tenn.. April IS. 1857. his father bateg
>f Irish and Welsh ancestry, and hia
nother, Elisabeth Browns, of Irish
parentage. . » *
lowHr the death of .Us father at Me
rita, Ala., Ua MtWr instilled into Mi
nfad and heart thoae atom jiieiepti
>f morality by which he has tm been
roverned. Judjr* Pritchard. y*t in hia
:eens. walked >6 ml tea acrnaa the
nountaina of east Tenneeeee and wee
»rn North Carolina to Bakerarilla,
ehere he arrived with 10 conta and
M thine more save the clothe* he wore.
Chine out hi* subsistence through toil
n the print (hop by day, a desire to
trhieve fame prompted him to by
light search inch text booka aa ware
tbtainable.
It was then that he received the at
ention of statesmen in North Caro
ina and identifyinir himself with the
Republican party, began a career, the
imminence and limitations of which
were only stopped by his calling to a
reward for service rendered humanity.
Entering politics he was elected to
the North Carolina house of represen
tatives from Madison county in 1886
ind again in 1887. Pursuing his meth
id of home study until master of
Blackstone and legal procedure he ob
tained law license in 1887.
In 1888 he was nominated aa Repub
lican candidate for lieutenant gov
srnor of this state. He then became
the caucus nominee of his party for
the senate of the United Statea, and
was reelected to the legislature in
1891.
tfe was elected for a two-year term
to the United States aenate in INC,
which he served, and was elected to
the six-year term in 1897 which he
ilao served.
The establishment of the fanners
tllianoe at this time and ita coalition
with the populiat party brought about
i ehange in the political situation and
he succeeded in consolidating the fac
tion into a cooperative campaign and
the state went Republican.
On April 1, 1901. he was appointed
ly President Theodore Rooeevelt to
the 8upreme court bench of the Dia
trict of Columbia. Upon the death of
Judge Simonton the Preaidcnt ad
vanced Judge Pritchard to the Judge
ihlp of the United Statea circuit court
For the fourth district, April I, 1904,
■ehich position he heM until his death.
As national committeeman and ae
Federal Judge and jurist received na
tional note and in the campaign last
Fall waa prominent!; mentioned far
rW-prealdent of the United Statea.
utd at the Republican national con
vention waa given a complimentary
Nto.
He la eurvived by his widow, a
dangMsr, wife af TVimsi A Rett ins;
three sons, Dr. Artimr T., Solicitor
Ossrgi «., and Attorney McKtaiar
Prttohard. and a eietor, Mrs. I. T.
Ma, U af AsheviBa