White farmer Walter Butts split open the head of farm worker Ollie Richardson after an argument. The next day, following a preliminary hearing, a justice of the peace dismissed charges against Butts.
A guide to the article: the lighter text in the second half, beginning “A preliminary hearing …,” is the first edition version. The heavier text at the beginning, which details what happened at the hearing, was inserted later.
In a nutshell, deputy sheriffs responding to the scene arrested Butts and William Moore, an African-American material witness, who was later allowed to post bond. (After all, he was not accused of committing any crime.) Butts did not testify at the hearing the next day. Moore testified that Butts and Richardson argued, and Richardson said he was going to straighten Butts out and advanced on Butts, but Moore did not actually see anything in Richardson’s hands. “Two Negro girls” testified to something similar. Unnamed others testified that they saw a pitchfork under Richardson’s body after he’d been brained. In other words, there was no actual testimony that Richardson had threatened Butts with a pitchfork before Butts smashed him in the skull with an ax. Nonetheless, a justice of the peace declared the incident a justifiable homicide and let Butts go.
Wilson Daily Times, 2 July 1946.
In the 1920 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: Frank Richardson, 28; wife Mary W., 24; and children Lonie, 7, Ollie, 5, Bettie, 3, and Earlie, 1.
In the 1930 census of Wilson Mills township, Johnston County: Frank Richardson, 40; wife Harriet, 27; and children Lonie, 17, Bettie, 16, Ollie, 14, Early, 13, Beatrice, 10, Earnest L., 11, Vernell, 8, Gertrue, 6, Dump, 5, Tobus W., 5, Odel, 6 months, and Rosevelt, 2.
On 23 September 1935, Ollie F. Richardson, 21, of Cross Roads, son of Frank and Mary Richardson, married Crematha Wiggins, 20, of Wilson, daughter of Littleton Wiggins and Annie Royal, in Wilson in the presence of Oscar Eatman, Frank Richardson and Anna H. Royal.
In 1940, Ollie Frank Richardson registered for the World War II in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 20 August 1914 in Wilson; his contact was wife Crematha Richardson; and he worked for Otis Nichols, Bailey, Johnston County.
frank richardson is my great grandfather
Did you know the details (or different details) of this terrible event?
Hi I Dont I was able to learn more about this from a family member who has since passed. What I’m try to find out us what happened to his wife who signed his death certificate. She seems to just have disappeared
Women can be so hard to trace forward, especially if they migrated North, where so few records are digitally available.
Was told the story was reported in WDT for over 2 months naming everyone involved and it started as an argument. There was an and witnesses by others . Was also told the person that committed it was a white gentleman and that he was at mercy hospital crying until he died, he was charged and locked up but was eventually released . The faced that he was even locked up is what wild . Frank Sr was my great grandfather. They had another child later and name him “Ollie Lee” . This happened a few months before my dad Roy was born so until last year he was not aware of “Ollie Frank” he was the oldest child of 27 kids from what I’ve discovered on Ancestry.com
Frank Richardson and Mary Woodard are my grandparents. Their daughter Vernal Richardson is my grandmother.
Sorry, I meant Frank Richardson and Mari . What are army? Great grandparents in Vernal Richardson is my grandmother.
Frank Richardson and Mary Woodard are my great grandparents.(I never got a chance to meet them) Their daughter Vernell is my grandmother.
Correction to my statement above. Frank Richardson and Mary Woodard are my great grandparents. Their daughter Vernell Richardson Glasper (Gillespie ) is my grandmother. Ollie was Vernell’s brother.
I think Ollie’s was married at the time to Elizabeth Richardson