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Title
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Jailed Ala. Negro Died of Injuries Autopsy Confirms
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Publisher
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The Gazette and Daily
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Publication Place
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York, PA
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Publication Date
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12/03/1966
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Transcript
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Jailed Ala. Negro, Died Of Injuries, Autopsy Confirms, State officials disclose that, severe head injuries caused, death of man companions say, was beaten by white deputy, sheriff. No arrest made and, officials continue to be silent, on investigation, plans., New York Times News Service, Montgomery, Ala.-A state autopsy, report made public yesterday con-, firmed that James Earl Motley, 27,, a Negro who was taken dead from a, Wetumpka, Ala., jail Nov. 20, died of, severe head injuries., Friends of the man have said that, he had been beaten by a white deputy, sheriff a few hours earlier., The autopsy report showed that, Motley had less alcohol in his blood, than the Alabama Highway patrol, considers necessary to justify a, charge of driving while intoxicated, Motley had not been driving. He was, charged with "highway drunkenness", and resisting arrest., The Alabama Journal at Montgomery, which has accused investigating, officials of "a conspiracy of silence', on the case, reported yesterday that, it had found three white men who, had witnessed various parts of the, Motley case. At least one of the, three indicated that he could support, parts of the accounts of Motley's, friends., No arrest has been made. Officials, continued to be close-mouthed on, their investigations and plans., The autopsy report did not suggest, what might have caused Motley's, injuries., The report was made public by Attorney General Richmond M. Flowers. He had requested it from Dr. C., J. Rehling, the state toxicologist. A, cover letter from Rehling said in, part:, "Reported blood alcohol level of, 0.14 per cent identifies a moderate, stage of alcoholic influence usually, characterized by emotional instability, decreased inhibitions and retard-, ed responses.", Maj. John Cloud, head of the High-, way Patrol division of the state Department of Public Safety, said yesterday that the highway patrol uses, a minimum of 0.15 per cent blood alcohol level as a standard for charging, drivers with driving while intoxicated., Highway drunkenness, he said, is a, charge used against an auto passenger "who might become boisterous, or loud.", Three of the six young Negroes in, the car with Motley that night said, afterward that their car was stopped, on Highway 231 south of Wetumpka, by Deputy Sheriff Harvey Conner, shortly before 2 a.m. They said that, the deputy checked the driver's license of the driver, then ordered, Motley into the sheriff's car after, Motley had made some remarks., They said that the young man refused to go, that the deputy radioed, for help, that two troopers arrived, and that the deputy then beat Motley, with a long black object., Motley's corpse was removed from, the Elmore County jail before day-, break and a state toxicologist per-, formed an autopsy almost at once-, before the man's family had been, notified, according to a Negro under-, taker., The autopsy report, written by Guy, V. Purnell, the toxicologist who per-, formed the autopsy, said that Motley, had suffered multiple skull fractures., Purnell said the man died of brain, damage.
