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Title
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AUTOPSY CONFIRMS NEGRO'S INJURIES: Alabama Reports Prisoner Died of Brain Damage Witnesses Found 'Retarded Responses'
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Author
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Roy Reed
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Publisher
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New York Times
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Publication Place
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New York, NY
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Publication Date
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12/03/1966
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Transcript
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PRINONER, DIED, OF, AUTOPSY CONFIRMS, NEGRO'S INJURIES, Alabama Reports Prisoner, Died of Brain Damage, By ROY REED, Special to The New York Times, MONTGOMERY Ala. Dec., 2, A state autopsy report, made public today confirmed, that James Earl Motley, a 27-, year-old Negro who was taken, dead from a Wetumpka, Ala., jail Nov. 20, died of severe, head injuries., Negro friends of the man, have said that he had been, beaten by a white deputy sheriff few hours earlier., The autopsy report also, showed that Mr. Motley had, less alcohol in his blood than, the Alabama Highway Patrol, considers necessary to justify, a charge of driving while intoxicated Mr Motley had not, been driving. He was charged, with "highway drunkenness, and resisting arrest., Witnesses Found, The Alabama Journal at, Montgomery, which has editorially accused investigating, officials of "a conspiracy of silence" on the case, reported to, day that it had found three, white men who had witnessed, various parts of the Motley episode, At least one of the three, indicated that he could support, parts of the accounts of Mr., Motley's Negro friends,, No arrest has been made. Officials continued to be closemouthed on their investigations, and plans., The autopsy report on Mr., Motley did not suggest what, might have caused his injuries., The report was made public, by Attorney General Richmond, M. Flowers. He had requested, it from Dr. C. J. Rehling. state, toxicologist. A cover letter from, Dr. Rehling said:, The nature and extent of, head injuries tend to identify, three forceful injuries of the, head, those on the right side, causing the death. The characteristics of these do not identify a specific agency or instrument., Retarded Responses, "Reported blood alcohol level, of 0.14 per cent identifies, a, moderate stage of alcoholic influence usually characterized by, emotional instability, decreased, inhibitions and retarded responses., Maj. John Cloud, head of the, Highway Patrol division of the, State Department of Public, Safety, said today that the, highway patrol used a mini-, mum 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 bolsterous or loud., Three of the six young, Negroes in the car with Mr, Motley that night said after-, ward 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 Mr., Motley into the sheriff's car, after Mr. Motley had made some, remarks., They said that the young man, refused to go, that the deputy, radioed for help, that two troop-, ers arrived and that the deputy, then beat Mr. Motley with a, long black object., Mr. Motley's bloody corpse, was removed from the Elmore, County jail before daybreak and, a state toxicologist performed, an autopsy almost at once, before the man's family had, been notified, according to a, Negro undertaker, The autopsy report, written, by Guy V. Purnell, the toxicologist who performed the, autopsy, said that Mr. Motley, had suffered multiple skull fractures. Mr. Purnell said the man, died of brain damage.
