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Title
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DEATH OF NEGRO IN JAIL IS STUDIED
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Publisher
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The 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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11/24/1966
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Transcript
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WETUMPKA, Ala., Nov. 23, -An Alabama county coroner, held a day-long closed-door in-, quiry today into the death of, a Negro man whose companions, say he was beaten by three law, enforcement officers during an, arrest carly Sunday morning., Coroner's subpoenas were, served around 10 P.M. yesterday, on five Negroes who were travel-, ing in a car with James Earl, Motley, 26-year-old Negro la, borer from Montgomery, when, he was arrested in rural Elmore, County Sunday night., The subpoenas ordered the, witnesses to report to the office, of Dr. Joseph R. Benson, El-, more County Coroner at, 8 o'clock this morning., When reporters sought admis-, sion to the proceeding, Dr. Ben-, son told them the hearing was, not public, but rather a "prc-, liminary inquiry" to gather in-, formation that he would turn, over to the county prosecuting, attorney., Before the hearing Mr. Motey's companions told newsmen, that Mr. Motley had been held, by two Alabama state troopers, while a deputy sheriff beat him, with a stick or blackjack. Sev-, cral hours after the arrest, a, Negro funeral home in, Wetumpka was called to pick, up Mr. Motley's body at the, county jail. An autopsy was, performed but the results have, not been disclosed., The Sheriff of Elmore County,, Lester Holley, said Mr. Motley, had been arrested on charges, of highway drunkenness, resist-, ing arrest and interfering with, an officer making an arrest., The sheriff declined to discuss, the case, aying he had been out, of town when the arrest was, made., Sheriff Holley said he would, not know until he received the, autopsy report whether the, prisoner "died of natural causes, or whether foul play was in-, volved.", "I'm very anxious to know what caused this boy's death, because from that we'll know, more about what to do and, which way to go," he said., He promised to make the, autopsy report public ""the minute we get it.", "Nothing will be withheld,", he added.
