U.S. Charges Ex-Deputy Sheriff In Beating Negro Who Died in Jail

Title

Source Type

Newspapers

Publisher

The Washington Post, Times Herald

Publication Place

Washington, D.C.

Publication Date

01/18/1967

Transcript

Special to The Washington Post, a, MONTGOMERY, Ala., Jan., -, 17-Moving quickly after a, é, local grand jury failed to act, on murder charges, the Justice, Department filed a criminal, information today against, Harvey King Conner, out-, going deputy sheriff of Elmore, County, in the death of Ne-, gro prisoner James Earl, Motley., Motley, a 27-year-old con-, struction worker arrested on, a drunkenness charge, died of, injuries to the head while in, Conner's custody Nov. 20 in, the Elmore County jail., Conner, who faces a maxi-, mum of one year in prison, and $1000 on the Federal, charge, was served with a, summons to appear March 1, before Federal Judge Frank, M. Johnson Jr., The charge, a misdemeanor,, says that Conner "did wilfully, assault, strike, beat and in-, jure James Earl Motley, with the intent and purpose of, imposing summary punish-, ment on him and did thereby, wilfully deprive" Motley of, his civil rights., The law Conner is charged, with violating dates back to, the Reconstruction Era. It is aimed at State officials who, use their official position to, deprive persons of their civil, rights. A companion law carry., ing a maximum 10-year jail, term would have required a, Federal grand jury indict-, ment., Conner meanwhile was at, least temporarily out of his of-, ficial position. Outgoing Sher-, iff Lester L. Holley, who did, not run for reelection, was re-, placed by Sidney Thrash, who, announced this morning that, he had "no deputies yet" on, his staff., Motley was a passenger in, a car that was stopped by, State Troopers in the early, hours of Nov. 20. Negro wit-, nesses told newsmen that, Motley, who denied the drunk-, enness charge, was beaten by, the deputy while troopers held, his arms., A state toxicologist's report, said he died of brain damage, and an injury to the right side, of the head. The report also, noted that Motley had suffered, several skull fractures and a, massive hemorrhage., Dr. Joseph R. Benson, the, county coroner, ruled that, Motley's death was accidental., He listed the cause of death, as brain injury and said the, injuries were consistent with, a fall., Benson said Motley had, fallen from his bunk onto the, steel floor of the cell and had, also fallen outside the jail., The official inquiry into, Motley's death was conducted, secretly. Benson refused to, call his inquiry a formal "in-, quest," which would have been, open to the public. The FBI, conducted an investigation of, its own.

Sources for

See all items with this value James Earl Motley