January 16, 2025 • 30 mins
Ever wondered what secrets lie beneath the cobblestone streets of Savannah? Join me, Carole Townsend, as I unravel the ghostly allure and historical intrigue of this Southern city, with tales that will leave you questioning the line between myth and reality. Our journey takes us first to the Mercer House, where the echoes of a dramatic event from May 2, 1981, continue to haunt Savannah's storied past. Inspired by John Barrett's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," we'll peel back the layers of Southern charm to discover a city where history, mystery, and idiosyncratic characters create an irresistible tapestry.
In this episode, prepare to be captivated by the vibrant personalities that have shaped Savannah's narrative. From Jim Williams' infamous trial to the spellbinding presence of Lady Chablis and the enigmatic Gullah Hoodoo priestess Minerva, these characters bring the city to life in unexpected ways. As we explore Savannah's awe-inspiring antebellum architecture and lush parks, I'll reveal how this coastal gem's past is interwoven with tales of hedonism and high society. So, find a cozy spot, perhaps with a mint julep in hand, and let these stories transport you to a place where every corner whispers its own secrets of the past.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carole Townsend (00:09):
Savannah, georgia, is a fascinating deep
south coastal city, hypnotic inits charms, sobering in its rich
history and breathtaking in itsbeauty.
Taking in its beauty,antebellum architecture,
cobblestone streets, shadedparks and somber yet exquisite
(00:31):
cemeteries combine with theculture and a people that, in my
experience at least, are notduplicated anywhere else in this
country.
The city of Savannah is nothingless than magical in its charm
and its grace.
In the wee hours of the morningof May 2, 1981, savannah slept.
(00:53):
Oh, of course there was theoccasional barking of a dog, the
incidental tete-a-tete, and, ofcourse, the clandestine
intertwining of couples notmeant to be together in the
light of day.
But at 429 Bull Street, in ahouse famously known as the
(01:14):
Mercer House, a couple's heateddiscussion was escalating.
Voices were raised, accusationsthrown, threats made, and in a
split second, savannah historychanged forever.
Lives were changed forever.
(01:35):
One life was lost forever, forin that split second, in Mercer
House, one lover took the lifeof the other.
This story sounds like abest-selling novel or a
thrilling box office smash,doesn't it?
Well, in fact, it was abest-selling novel, sitting atop
(01:55):
the New York Times bestsellerlist for a record 216 weeks, and
it was in fact a movie directedby none other than the great
Clint Eastwood.
But what if I told you that itwas also true here in the South?
(02:17):
We love our stories.
We begin in childhood huddledaround campfires, whispering of
things best spoken in the dark,confiding in our small trusting
circles.
Why is that, do you suppose?
I have researched andinvestigated Southern history
for more than 20 years and Ibelieve it has to do with this
(02:39):
region itself.
There's a lot that hangs in theether here and much that is
buried deep in the soil.
There's beauty here in theSouth and shame and courage.
And, make no mistake, there isevil.
There's always been the elementof the unexplained, the just
(03:00):
out of reachreach that we canall feel but can never quite
describe.
And the best place for tellingtales about such things is the
comfort and safety of an oldfront porch.
So I invite you tonight to comeup here with me, settle back
into a chair and get comfortable, pour yourself a drink if you
(03:22):
like, and I'll share with yousome of the tales best told in
the company of friends, talesthat prove that truth really is
stranger than fiction, and I'llturn on the light.
You're going to want that.
I'm Carole Townsend.
Welcome to my front porch.
(03:51):
The following podcast containsmaterial that may be disturbing.
Listener discretion is advised.
(04:16):
Military leader James Oglethorpedesigned the prosperous port
city of Savannah, choosing anarea located high on a bluff
overlooking the Savannah River.
One must imagine that themighty river and the stately old
oak trees gracefully drapedwith Spanish moss had something
to do with his concept.
Oglethorpe laid out spaciousgrids dotted with shaded parks,
(04:37):
and that design was carriedthroughout Savannah's
development over the years.
This unique design is but oneof many reasons Savannah,
Georgia's oldest city, is setapart from all other southern
cities.
In fact, her beauty has longbeen credited with being the
reason General Sherman didn'tburn the city during the Civil
(05:00):
War as he did so many others ashe marched through Georgia.
Instead, he spared the city andoffered it to President Abraham
Lincoln as a Christmas gift.
The gesture delighted thepresident.
Now some say Savannah wasspared because the city's mayor
(05:25):
and General Sherman worked out asurrender before the city was
to be burned.
And others say that Shermanspared Savannah because he had a
lover who lived there.
In any event, sherman left thecity intact for future
generations, and for that we'refortunate.
Savannah boasts many otherclaims to fame.
She was known for being afavorite respite for
(05:48):
swashbuckling pirates who preyedon passengers and crews on
ships that came and went on theriver and into the port.
The cotton gin was invented inSavannah, and the city has also
been praised for its historicsignificance with respect to its
African American community.
Martin Luther King, on morethan one occasion, praised the
(06:12):
city for its nonviolent protestsand sit-ins, as well as its
commitment to positive change.
Beauty, grace, war and peaceall somehow dance together in
this charming, gracious, statelycity.
(06:34):
In 1994, a talented writer namedJohn Barrett wrote a book
titled Midnight in the Garden ofGood and Evil.
The book was a smashing success.
Barrett's prose, combined withthe subject matter, are simply
irresistible.
Where else but in the Southcould a hoodoo priestess, a
(06:57):
transvestite, a wealthy historicpreservationist, a lawyer
famous for the lineage of theUniversity of Georgia's bulldog
mascot Ugga and an uneducateddrug and alcohol addict come
together in such a story?
There is something else thatsets Savannah apart, and that is
(07:19):
her socialites, the eliteechelon of Savannah society.
There's money in this city,both very old and relatively new
.
Keep in mind, of course, thatfirst-generation money, no
matter how much there is, isconsidered new money.
Old money is revered and highlyrespected, and new money, well,
(07:43):
it's highly sought after.
If a member of Savannah'ssociety is wealthy enough, his
new variche status can beoverlooked and can even buy his
way into the uppermost innercircles.
Such was the case with JamesArthur Williams who, in the
(08:06):
early hours of May 2, 1981, shothis lover to death in his
elegant, immaculately appointedhistoric home known as Mercer
House.
Known as Mercer House In 1930,james Arthur Williams was born
(08:30):
in Gordon, georgia.
He moved to Savannah in 1952 atage 21.
Jim was a young, handsome,somewhat closeted gay man
without, as some have described,a dime to his name.
But within three years ofmoving to Savannah he had bought
(08:52):
and restored his first threehouses.
He went on to make a fortune inhistoric home restoration,
antiques and in real estate, andhe used his resources to
preserve the magnificent historyof one of the South's oldest
cities.
Williams moved effortlesslyamong the city's elite and he
was known for being one ofSavannah's most gracious hosts.
An invitation to one of hisparties was always a highly
(09:17):
sought-after prize.
It was at one of these partiesthat Jim met a 21-year-old man
named Danny Hansford, a skilled,street-smart hustler and known
drug dealer and addict.
Danny was also, shall we say, alover for hire, for both male
(09:38):
and female clients.
It was on this basis thatWilliams and Hansford launched
their torrid relationship.
They were an unlikely pair,these two Williams a wealthy and
respected restorationist andpreserver of history, and
Hansford an uneducated by thedescription of some of those who
(09:59):
knew him best dirty anddisheveled drug addict.
Still, there was somethingabout the young man that
Williams simply couldn't resist,and he didn't.
Interestingly, hansford had agirlfriend, despite his
profession of choice and hisaffair with Williams.
(10:23):
It was that girlfriend thatbecame a bone of contention
between the two men, as Hansfordrefused to give her up, though
Williams made it clear that heexpected exactly that.
That, to Danny's appearance,his habits and mannerisms stood
in sharp contrast to William'slifestyle and his social circle.
(10:44):
So the elder lover madeattempts, however fruitless, to
keep the two separate.
Williams explained Hansford'sconstant presence as being the
result of his desire to help theyoung man and keep him safely
off the streets.
Polite society, of course,accepted this explanation
(11:05):
publicly and at face value, butprivately, let's say, savannah's
salacious gossip would oftencenter on the odd couple, and
center on the odd couple.
Tensions between theclandestine lovers would often
(11:25):
erupt into loud, violentaltercations, with Danny
storming out of the mansion onlyto return a few days later,
sulking but contrite.
Williams would shower him withgifts and attention when he'd
return, and this cycle repeatedfor about two years.
(11:46):
At around 2.30 am on May 2, 1981, williams and Hansford were
embroiled in another one oftheir clashes, this one
particularly heated.
This account of what happenedis this one particularly heated.
This account of what happenedis, of course, secondhand and it
came from Williams himself, itseems.
(12:10):
Hansford was sitting on a sofaplaying a video game in the
stately home and he hadconvinced Williams to join him.
When Williams quickly lostinterest, hansford smashed the
game in a petulant tirade.
From there the confrontationescalated, with Williams
retiring to the study, tellingHansford that he had to leave
his house the next day.
The young man stormed out, butnot before pushing over an 18th
(12:35):
century English grandfatherclock, destroying it.
Williams, according to his owntestimony, remained in the study
calmly attempting to ride outthe storm until it subsided.
But just a few moments aftersmashing the clock, according to
Williams, hansford stormed intothe study, pointing a gun at
(12:58):
his lover and stating I may beleaving tomorrow, but you're
leaving tonight.
He fired at Williams, but thegun jammed, giving Williams time
to open the desk drawer andproduce a 9mm Luger pistol In
self-defense.
He said he shot Hansford in thehead, chest and back, killing
(13:22):
him.
Thirty minutes later JimWilliams calmly called the
police to report a shooting athis residence.
Williams was shortly taken intocustody and charged with murder
.
The investigation that followedled prosecutors to accuse
(13:44):
Williams of killing Hansford incold blood and then staging the
crime scene.
Without getting us bogged downinto tedious details, detectives
found Hansford's body on thefloor with a chair leg pinning
(14:04):
the hem of Hansford's pants tothe floor.
How could this have happened?
If events had unfolded asWilliams claimed, the chair had
to have been moved after theshooting.
Two blood smears on Hansford'shands didn't line up with the
way the body fell and no gunshotresidue was found on the young
(14:24):
man's hands.
And of course, the obviouscouldn't be ignored.
Hansford's death solved an uglyand embarrassing problem for
the respected preservationist,didn't it?
Jim Williams was tried anastounding four times for
shooting his lover.
At the first trial, williamswas convicted of murder and
sentenced to life in prison.
(14:46):
That verdict was overturned inJanuary 1983 by the Georgia
Supreme Court because ofcontradicting statements made by
the arresting officer.
At the second trial inSeptember 1983, attorney Sonny
(15:09):
Seeler defended Williams Seeler,you may know, was not only an
accomplished Savannah attorney,he was also the owner of the
University of Georgia's livemascots named Ugga, a series of
successively numbered EnglishBulldogs.
He decided to have Williamsopenly bring up his sexuality
during this trial, but littleelse differed in his defense and
(15:30):
on October 8th Williams wasagain convicted and sentenced to
life in prison.
However, in June 1985, theGeorgia Supreme Court overturned
the conviction, stating thatthe sheriff should not have been
allowed to testify as an expertand that the prosecutor waited
until his closing argument todemonstrate some crucial
(15:53):
evidence.
The third trial resulted in amistrial and the fourth, this
time held in Augusta, georgia,in May 1989, resulted in
Williams acquittal.
Eight years, four trials andultimately an acquittal.
But misfortune and heartbreakare patient hunters.
(16:17):
On January 14th 1990, afterjust eight months of being a
free man, 59-year-old JimWilliams collapsed and died at
his beloved Mercer House.
He is said to have died in hisstudy, the scene of the shooting
of his young, unlikely lover,earlier.
(16:41):
I said that this tragic talereads like a best-selling novel
and in fact it is just that thebook, brilliantly and colorfully
written by New Yorker JohnBehrendt, is titled Midnight in
the Garden of Good and Evil, andit refers to the half hour
before and the half hour aftermidnight.
(17:02):
The title refers to the hoodoonotion of midnight, the period
between the time for good magic11 30 pm to midnight and the
time for evil magic night andthe time for evil magic midnight
to 1230 am.
(17:22):
Elites and wealthy eccentricsoften find footing in both,
don't they?
Incidentally, in the book,barron claims that Jim Williams
did in fact confess to himbefore the third trial that he
shot Danny Hansford, not inself-defense but with clear
intent, and then staged thescene to look otherwise.
That confession is said to havebeen recorded on a dictaphone.
(17:46):
Berent, who cleverly wrotehimself into the book as a main
character, is in fact, the onlysurviving character in Midnight
in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Sonny Seeler died Monday,august 28, 2023, after living an
(18:07):
accomplished 90-year life.
In fact, he played the judgeSamuel L White in Clint
Eastwood's film.
Jim Williams is buried in theRamah Primitive Baptist Church
Cemetery near Gordon, georgia,his hometown.
Danny Hansford is buried inGreenwich Cemetery, which is
(18:30):
next to Forest Lawn Cemetery,which is adjacent to the famous
Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.
Although Bonaventure Cemeteryis the focus in the book, the
aforementioned Garden of Goodand Evil refers principally to
the cemetery off Congress Streetin Beaufort, south Carolina.
(18:51):
This case changed the course ofan entire city, as the book
fueled tourism and it pulledback the curtain on the city's
moneyed society that hadpreviously lived in a protected,
even secret, parallel world.
In fact, perhaps it's becauseJim Williams had one foot behind
(19:11):
that curtain and one foot inthe world of the common man that
the story came to light at all.
In this surprise bestseller,author John Barrett masterfully
weaves a colorful tapestry ofboth fiction and non-fiction.
But the true beauty of this gemlies in the fact that the
(19:32):
characters in the story,peculiar and eccentric as they
are, are real people.
They are are real people.
John Barrett, jim Williams andDanny Hansford are central
characters of the story,obviously, but this is Savannah
and this story wouldn't becomplete without introducing
(19:53):
some of the other realcharacters, as they themselves
are a study in Southern flairand intrigue and deserve to be
treated as such.
Let's take a moment to move incloser and examine the
kaleidoscope of astonishing gemswho swirl together in the
garden of good and evil.
(20:16):
It's difficult to pinpoint onesingle thing for which Jim
Williams is remembered.
Of course the book made himfamous for shooting his lever,
difficult to pinpoint.
One single thing for which JimWilliams is remembered, of
course the book made him famousfor shooting his lever and for
the ultimate acquittal that cameafter four trials and eight
years.
Kevin Spacey played the part inthe movie directed by Clint
Eastwood, and he did it verywell.
But we can't forget thatWilliams was also a self-made
(20:40):
man who used his knowledge andresources to become a key player
in the preservation ofSavannah's remarkable history.
Of course he was a giftedrestorationist and I think the
pièce de résistance in thetotality of Jim Williams is the
vast diversity of the people whomoved in his eclectic circle.
(21:02):
Danny Hansford, or Billy Hansonin the film played by a young
Jude Law, was a bit of a diva.
Williams was his meal ticketand he knew it.
But he also knew that he had apowerful hold over his older
lover and he tested it often,almost as though testing
(21:28):
Williams was a sport.
Savannah socialite PrenticeCrow characterized Danny as a
good time not yet had by all,and it was clear that his
reputation was well known, nomatter how Williams tried to
explain his constant presence atMercer House.
Williams provided him with aplace to live, with drugs and
alcohol and with fine clothesand jewelry.
(21:50):
He gave him a job and yet, itseemed, hansford taunted and
provoked Williams at every turn.
In fact he provoked him onetime too many.
In his book, john Barrett madethe city of Savannah itself not
just a setting but also a maincharacter.
(22:11):
It would have been a mistakenot to.
Savannah has a complicatedrelationship with Barrett's
bestseller, more so 30 years agothan now.
I suppose the sting of therevelations in the book has
cooled, with Barrett being theonly surviving primary character
.
Midnight in the Garden of Goodand Evil boosted tourism in the
(22:34):
city immensely and Savannah hassurely prospered as a result.
But yes, the book also revealedthe seedy, sometimes shocking,
underbelly of the graciousSouthern city.
In Savannah, quiet history andraw hedonism dance together and
somehow it all works in a uniqueand fascinating waltz.
(23:00):
Let's turn our gaze to the LadyChablis, a transgender actress,
author and performer who becamevery well known after the book
was published, arguably one ofthe most iconic players in this
shocking Savannah scandal.
Lady Chablis was born BenjaminKnox in Florida in 1957.
(23:20):
Lady Chablis was born BenjaminKnox in Florida in 1957.
Knox took the name the LadyChablis at age 16.
Performing in gay bars andbathhouses at the age of 15, the
Lady Chablis became one of thefirst Southern people to live
openly transgender during the70s, 80s and even 90s,
(23:44):
transgender during the 70s, 80sand even 90s.
In Savannah, lady Chablis wasvery much a part of the quirky
socialite scene and in factplayed the Lady Chablis
character in the movie herself.
She provides very real comicrelief in the tragic story of
Williams and Hansford, as shewas a fountain of charm, blunt
honesty and juicy gossip.
Unlike the movie account of thetrial, lady Chablis never
(24:07):
testified at any of Williams'actual trials.
She never quipped fashion tipsand humorous observations from
the witness stand as she did inthe film.
A haunting footnote to her lifeis this she died of pneumonia
at age 59.
So did Jim Williams, just eightmonths after being acquitted
(24:28):
for the murder of his younglover.
Then there is the unforgettablecharacter Minerva, whose real
name was Valerie Bowles.
Valerie was a Gullah Hoodoopriestess or a root doctor,
suspicious of everyone,strong-willed and wildly
foul-mouthed.
Incidentally, some refer to heras being a voodoo priestess,
(24:54):
but there is a differencebetween voodoo and hoodoo.
While voodoo is recognized asan organized religion with
defined rituals and even apriesthood, voodoo is a system
of folk magic used primarily forpersonal gain and benefit.
Bowles rarely allowed herselfto be photographed or even
(25:14):
touched, as she believed thatdoing so would expose her to the
risk of being hexed.
When someone gave her money,they had to first lay that money
down on a table or on the floor.
She never accepted cash oranything else from another
person's hand.
She didn't want to be touchedbecause, as she put it, doing so
(25:36):
would allow the other person toquote, work her hands and cast
a spell on her.
How did such a character playinto the Savannah tragedy?
Well, she was a friend of JimWilliams.
She would give Jim informationabout what was going on in the
community and in return Jimwould give her money.
(25:57):
According to Barrett, during avisit to see Bowles in her South
Carolina home, she led him andWilliams to her common-law
husband's grave in Beaufort tocast a spell on former Chatham
County District Attorney SpencerLawton.
Lawton is the prosecutor whofiled murder charges against
(26:19):
Williams in the fatal shootingof Danny Hansford.
You see, jim Williams very muchbelieved in hoodoo and in the
powers of Bowles, so he enlistedthe help of the priestess to
derail Lawton's case one way oranother.
The hoodoo ceremony wasperformed at Bowles' husband's
graveside, since immense powerwas said to emanate from that
(26:42):
sight, though the powerful rootdoctor was long dead.
Bowles' age at her deathremains uncertain, though some
sources cite her birth year asbeing 1932.
And what about the character ofLuther Driggers?
Was he a real man?
As it turns out, yes, he was.
(27:03):
This character in Barron's bookis loosely based on a real
Savannah resident named MoFetzer, who was a government
chemist.
In the book, this character waspainted as someone who was more
than a little eccentric.
He would often threaten topoison Chatham County's water
supply using the mysteriouscontents in a vial that hung
(27:24):
around his neck.
Berent certainly paintedDriggers as yet another
eccentric writing that he walkedaround with flies hanging from
his lapels on a string.
In reality, fetzer was nothomicidal and the flies, it
seems, were simply an amusingparlor trick.
As an aside, not only did SonnySeeler play the presiding trial
(27:48):
judge in the film, his Englishbulldog, ugga 5, played his
real-life canine predecessor,ugga 4.
In the movie, ugga 5 is seenseveral times walking with John
Cusack, who played Barrett'scharacter, through Beautiful
Forsyth Park in Savannah.
Hmm, there, my sharing of thisspellbinding slice of Savannah
(28:13):
history truly only scratches thetop surface of the first of
many layers.
I'm not quite sure whether thestory, the characters, the
history and the scenery couldhave come together anywhere else
as they did in Savannah morethan 40 years ago, when gunshots
split that May night in 1981and an entire city was forever
(28:36):
changed.
The South is known for itsquirky, eccentric
characteristics, and Savannahdoesn't disappoint, does it?
If you've never visited thiscoastal gem.
I hope that someday you get thechance to A word of caution,
though.
Be very careful in the midnighthour, especially if you're
(28:59):
enjoying a stroll through theparks and cemeteries in the city
, for in that hour the pastmelts into the present and good
gives way to evil.
I'm Carole Townsend, veterannewspaper journalist and
six-time award-winning author.
(29:20):
You can find me on social mediaand check out my website at www
.
caroletownsend.
com.
As always, thanks for listening, and if you're enjoying these
tales of Southern history andlore, I hope you'll tell your
friends.
Subscribe to this podcast onSpotify, apple Play, iheart and
(29:42):
anywhere you listen.
My team and I based theretelling of this story on the
following sources of informationthe Georgia Historical Society,
the Coastal Heritage Society,new Georgia Encyclopedia and the
book Midnight in the Garden ofGood and Evil by John Barrett.
Savannah, georgia, is a fascinating deep
south coastal city, hypnotic inits charms, sobering in its rich
history and breathtaking in itsbeauty.
Taking in its beauty,antebellum architecture,
cobblestone streets, shadedparks and somber yet exquisite
(00:31):
cemeteries combine with theculture and a people that, in my
experience at least, are notduplicated anywhere else in this
country.
The city of Savannah is nothingless than magical in its charm
and its grace.
In the wee hours of the morningof May 2, 1981, savannah slept.
(00:53):
Oh, of course there was theoccasional barking of a dog, the
incidental tete-a-tete, and, ofcourse, the clandestine
intertwining of couples notmeant to be together in the
light of day.
But at 429 Bull Street, in ahouse famously known as the
(01:14):
Mercer House, a couple's heateddiscussion was escalating.
Voices were raised, accusationsthrown, threats made, and in a
split second, savannah historychanged forever.
Lives were changed forever.
(01:35):
One life was lost forever, forin that split second, in Mercer
House, one lover took the lifeof the other.
This story sounds like abest-selling novel or a
thrilling box office smash,doesn't it?
Well, in fact, it was abest-selling novel, sitting atop
(01:55):
the New York Times bestsellerlist for a record 216 weeks, and
it was in fact a movie directedby none other than the great
Clint Eastwood.
But what if I told you that itwas also true here in the South?
(02:17):
We love our stories.
We begin in childhood huddledaround campfires, whispering of
things best spoken in the dark,confiding in our small trusting
circles.
Why is that, do you suppose?
I have researched andinvestigated Southern history
for more than 20 years and Ibelieve it has to do with this
(02:39):
region itself.
There's a lot that hangs in theether here and much that is
buried deep in the soil.
There's beauty here in theSouth and shame and courage.
And, make no mistake, there isevil.
There's always been the elementof the unexplained, the just
(03:00):
out of reachreach that we canall feel but can never quite
describe.
And the best place for tellingtales about such things is the
comfort and safety of an oldfront porch.
So I invite you tonight to comeup here with me, settle back
into a chair and get comfortable, pour yourself a drink if you
(03:22):
like, and I'll share with yousome of the tales best told in
the company of friends, talesthat prove that truth really is
stranger than fiction, and I'llturn on the light.
You're going to want that.
I'm Carole Townsend.
Welcome to my front porch.
(03:51):
The following podcast containsmaterial that may be disturbing.
Listener discretion is advised.
(04:16):
Military leader James Oglethorpedesigned the prosperous port
city of Savannah, choosing anarea located high on a bluff
overlooking the Savannah River.
One must imagine that themighty river and the stately old
oak trees gracefully drapedwith Spanish moss had something
to do with his concept.
Oglethorpe laid out spaciousgrids dotted with shaded parks,
(04:37):
and that design was carriedthroughout Savannah's
development over the years.
This unique design is but oneof many reasons Savannah,
Georgia's oldest city, is setapart from all other southern
cities.
In fact, her beauty has longbeen credited with being the
reason General Sherman didn'tburn the city during the Civil
(05:00):
War as he did so many others ashe marched through Georgia.
Instead, he spared the city andoffered it to President Abraham
Lincoln as a Christmas gift.
The gesture delighted thepresident.
Now some say Savannah wasspared because the city's mayor
(05:25):
and General Sherman worked out asurrender before the city was
to be burned.
And others say that Shermanspared Savannah because he had a
lover who lived there.
In any event, sherman left thecity intact for future
generations, and for that we'refortunate.
Savannah boasts many otherclaims to fame.
She was known for being afavorite respite for
(05:48):
swashbuckling pirates who preyedon passengers and crews on
ships that came and went on theriver and into the port.
The cotton gin was invented inSavannah, and the city has also
been praised for its historicsignificance with respect to its
African American community.
Martin Luther King, on morethan one occasion, praised the
(06:12):
city for its nonviolent protestsand sit-ins, as well as its
commitment to positive change.
Beauty, grace, war and peaceall somehow dance together in
this charming, gracious, statelycity.
(06:34):
In 1994, a talented writer namedJohn Barrett wrote a book
titled Midnight in the Garden ofGood and Evil.
The book was a smashing success.
Barrett's prose, combined withthe subject matter, are simply
irresistible.
Where else but in the Southcould a hoodoo priestess, a
(06:57):
transvestite, a wealthy historicpreservationist, a lawyer
famous for the lineage of theUniversity of Georgia's bulldog
mascot Ugga and an uneducateddrug and alcohol addict come
together in such a story?
There is something else thatsets Savannah apart, and that is
(07:19):
her socialites, the eliteechelon of Savannah society.
There's money in this city,both very old and relatively new
.
Keep in mind, of course, thatfirst-generation money, no
matter how much there is, isconsidered new money.
Old money is revered and highlyrespected, and new money, well,
(07:43):
it's highly sought after.
If a member of Savannah'ssociety is wealthy enough, his
new variche status can beoverlooked and can even buy his
way into the uppermost innercircles.
Such was the case with JamesArthur Williams who, in the
(08:06):
early hours of May 2, 1981, shothis lover to death in his
elegant, immaculately appointedhistoric home known as Mercer
House.
Known as Mercer House In 1930,james Arthur Williams was born
(08:30):
in Gordon, georgia.
He moved to Savannah in 1952 atage 21.
Jim was a young, handsome,somewhat closeted gay man
without, as some have described,a dime to his name.
But within three years ofmoving to Savannah he had bought
(08:52):
and restored his first threehouses.
He went on to make a fortune inhistoric home restoration,
antiques and in real estate, andhe used his resources to
preserve the magnificent historyof one of the South's oldest
cities.
Williams moved effortlesslyamong the city's elite and he
was known for being one ofSavannah's most gracious hosts.
An invitation to one of hisparties was always a highly
(09:17):
sought-after prize.
It was at one of these partiesthat Jim met a 21-year-old man
named Danny Hansford, a skilled,street-smart hustler and known
drug dealer and addict.
Danny was also, shall we say, alover for hire, for both male
(09:38):
and female clients.
It was on this basis thatWilliams and Hansford launched
their torrid relationship.
They were an unlikely pair,these two Williams a wealthy and
respected restorationist andpreserver of history, and
Hansford an uneducated by thedescription of some of those who
(09:59):
knew him best dirty anddisheveled drug addict.
Still, there was somethingabout the young man that
Williams simply couldn't resist,and he didn't.
Interestingly, hansford had agirlfriend, despite his
profession of choice and hisaffair with Williams.
(10:23):
It was that girlfriend thatbecame a bone of contention
between the two men, as Hansfordrefused to give her up, though
Williams made it clear that heexpected exactly that.
That, to Danny's appearance,his habits and mannerisms stood
in sharp contrast to William'slifestyle and his social circle.
(10:44):
So the elder lover madeattempts, however fruitless, to
keep the two separate.
Williams explained Hansford'sconstant presence as being the
result of his desire to help theyoung man and keep him safely
off the streets.
Polite society, of course,accepted this explanation
(11:05):
publicly and at face value, butprivately, let's say, savannah's
salacious gossip would oftencenter on the odd couple, and
center on the odd couple.
Tensions between theclandestine lovers would often
(11:25):
erupt into loud, violentaltercations, with Danny
storming out of the mansion onlyto return a few days later,
sulking but contrite.
Williams would shower him withgifts and attention when he'd
return, and this cycle repeatedfor about two years.
(11:46):
At around 2.30 am on May 2, 1981, williams and Hansford were
embroiled in another one oftheir clashes, this one
particularly heated.
This account of what happenedis this one particularly heated.
This account of what happenedis, of course, secondhand and it
came from Williams himself, itseems.
(12:10):
Hansford was sitting on a sofaplaying a video game in the
stately home and he hadconvinced Williams to join him.
When Williams quickly lostinterest, hansford smashed the
game in a petulant tirade.
From there the confrontationescalated, with Williams
retiring to the study, tellingHansford that he had to leave
his house the next day.
The young man stormed out, butnot before pushing over an 18th
(12:35):
century English grandfatherclock, destroying it.
Williams, according to his owntestimony, remained in the study
calmly attempting to ride outthe storm until it subsided.
But just a few moments aftersmashing the clock, according to
Williams, hansford stormed intothe study, pointing a gun at
(12:58):
his lover and stating I may beleaving tomorrow, but you're
leaving tonight.
He fired at Williams, but thegun jammed, giving Williams time
to open the desk drawer andproduce a 9mm Luger pistol In
self-defense.
He said he shot Hansford in thehead, chest and back, killing
(13:22):
him.
Thirty minutes later JimWilliams calmly called the
police to report a shooting athis residence.
Williams was shortly taken intocustody and charged with murder
.
The investigation that followedled prosecutors to accuse
(13:44):
Williams of killing Hansford incold blood and then staging the
crime scene.
Without getting us bogged downinto tedious details, detectives
found Hansford's body on thefloor with a chair leg pinning
(14:04):
the hem of Hansford's pants tothe floor.
How could this have happened?
If events had unfolded asWilliams claimed, the chair had
to have been moved after theshooting.
Two blood smears on Hansford'shands didn't line up with the
way the body fell and no gunshotresidue was found on the young
(14:24):
man's hands.
And of course, the obviouscouldn't be ignored.
Hansford's death solved an uglyand embarrassing problem for
the respected preservationist,didn't it?
Jim Williams was tried anastounding four times for
shooting his lover.
At the first trial, williamswas convicted of murder and
sentenced to life in prison.
(14:46):
That verdict was overturned inJanuary 1983 by the Georgia
Supreme Court because ofcontradicting statements made by
the arresting officer.
At the second trial inSeptember 1983, attorney Sonny
(15:09):
Seeler defended Williams Seeler,you may know, was not only an
accomplished Savannah attorney,he was also the owner of the
University of Georgia's livemascots named Ugga, a series of
successively numbered EnglishBulldogs.
He decided to have Williamsopenly bring up his sexuality
during this trial, but littleelse differed in his defense and
(15:30):
on October 8th Williams wasagain convicted and sentenced to
life in prison.
However, in June 1985, theGeorgia Supreme Court overturned
the conviction, stating thatthe sheriff should not have been
allowed to testify as an expertand that the prosecutor waited
until his closing argument todemonstrate some crucial
(15:53):
evidence.
The third trial resulted in amistrial and the fourth, this
time held in Augusta, georgia,in May 1989, resulted in
Williams acquittal.
Eight years, four trials andultimately an acquittal.
But misfortune and heartbreakare patient hunters.
(16:17):
On January 14th 1990, afterjust eight months of being a
free man, 59-year-old JimWilliams collapsed and died at
his beloved Mercer House.
He is said to have died in hisstudy, the scene of the shooting
of his young, unlikely lover,earlier.
(16:41):
I said that this tragic talereads like a best-selling novel
and in fact it is just that thebook, brilliantly and colorfully
written by New Yorker JohnBehrendt, is titled Midnight in
the Garden of Good and Evil, andit refers to the half hour
before and the half hour aftermidnight.
(17:02):
The title refers to the hoodoonotion of midnight, the period
between the time for good magic11 30 pm to midnight and the
time for evil magic night andthe time for evil magic midnight
to 1230 am.
(17:22):
Elites and wealthy eccentricsoften find footing in both,
don't they?
Incidentally, in the book,barron claims that Jim Williams
did in fact confess to himbefore the third trial that he
shot Danny Hansford, not inself-defense but with clear
intent, and then staged thescene to look otherwise.
That confession is said to havebeen recorded on a dictaphone.
(17:46):
Berent, who cleverly wrotehimself into the book as a main
character, is in fact, the onlysurviving character in Midnight
in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Sonny Seeler died Monday,august 28, 2023, after living an
(18:07):
accomplished 90-year life.
In fact, he played the judgeSamuel L White in Clint
Eastwood's film.
Jim Williams is buried in theRamah Primitive Baptist Church
Cemetery near Gordon, georgia,his hometown.
Danny Hansford is buried inGreenwich Cemetery, which is
(18:30):
next to Forest Lawn Cemetery,which is adjacent to the famous
Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.
Although Bonaventure Cemeteryis the focus in the book, the
aforementioned Garden of Goodand Evil refers principally to
the cemetery off Congress Streetin Beaufort, south Carolina.
(18:51):
This case changed the course ofan entire city, as the book
fueled tourism and it pulledback the curtain on the city's
moneyed society that hadpreviously lived in a protected,
even secret, parallel world.
In fact, perhaps it's becauseJim Williams had one foot behind
(19:11):
that curtain and one foot inthe world of the common man that
the story came to light at all.
In this surprise bestseller,author John Barrett masterfully
weaves a colorful tapestry ofboth fiction and non-fiction.
But the true beauty of this gemlies in the fact that the
(19:32):
characters in the story,peculiar and eccentric as they
are, are real people.
They are are real people.
John Barrett, jim Williams andDanny Hansford are central
characters of the story,obviously, but this is Savannah
and this story wouldn't becomplete without introducing
(19:53):
some of the other realcharacters, as they themselves
are a study in Southern flairand intrigue and deserve to be
treated as such.
Let's take a moment to move incloser and examine the
kaleidoscope of astonishing gemswho swirl together in the
garden of good and evil.
(20:16):
It's difficult to pinpoint onesingle thing for which Jim
Williams is remembered.
Of course the book made himfamous for shooting his lever,
difficult to pinpoint.
One single thing for which JimWilliams is remembered, of
course the book made him famousfor shooting his lever and for
the ultimate acquittal that cameafter four trials and eight
years.
Kevin Spacey played the part inthe movie directed by Clint
Eastwood, and he did it verywell.
But we can't forget thatWilliams was also a self-made
(20:40):
man who used his knowledge andresources to become a key player
in the preservation ofSavannah's remarkable history.
Of course he was a giftedrestorationist and I think the
pièce de résistance in thetotality of Jim Williams is the
vast diversity of the people whomoved in his eclectic circle.
(21:02):
Danny Hansford, or Billy Hansonin the film played by a young
Jude Law, was a bit of a diva.
Williams was his meal ticketand he knew it.
But he also knew that he had apowerful hold over his older
lover and he tested it often,almost as though testing
(21:28):
Williams was a sport.
Savannah socialite PrenticeCrow characterized Danny as a
good time not yet had by all,and it was clear that his
reputation was well known, nomatter how Williams tried to
explain his constant presence atMercer House.
Williams provided him with aplace to live, with drugs and
alcohol and with fine clothesand jewelry.
(21:50):
He gave him a job and yet, itseemed, hansford taunted and
provoked Williams at every turn.
In fact he provoked him onetime too many.
In his book, john Barrett madethe city of Savannah itself not
just a setting but also a maincharacter.
(22:11):
It would have been a mistakenot to.
Savannah has a complicatedrelationship with Barrett's
bestseller, more so 30 years agothan now.
I suppose the sting of therevelations in the book has
cooled, with Barrett being theonly surviving primary character
.
Midnight in the Garden of Goodand Evil boosted tourism in the
(22:34):
city immensely and Savannah hassurely prospered as a result.
But yes, the book also revealedthe seedy, sometimes shocking,
underbelly of the graciousSouthern city.
In Savannah, quiet history andraw hedonism dance together and
somehow it all works in a uniqueand fascinating waltz.
(23:00):
Let's turn our gaze to the LadyChablis, a transgender actress,
author and performer who becamevery well known after the book
was published, arguably one ofthe most iconic players in this
shocking Savannah scandal.
Lady Chablis was born BenjaminKnox in Florida in 1957.
(23:20):
Lady Chablis was born BenjaminKnox in Florida in 1957.
Knox took the name the LadyChablis at age 16.
Performing in gay bars andbathhouses at the age of 15, the
Lady Chablis became one of thefirst Southern people to live
openly transgender during the70s, 80s and even 90s,
(23:44):
transgender during the 70s, 80sand even 90s.
In Savannah, lady Chablis wasvery much a part of the quirky
socialite scene and in factplayed the Lady Chablis
character in the movie herself.
She provides very real comicrelief in the tragic story of
Williams and Hansford, as shewas a fountain of charm, blunt
honesty and juicy gossip.
Unlike the movie account of thetrial, lady Chablis never
(24:07):
testified at any of Williams'actual trials.
She never quipped fashion tipsand humorous observations from
the witness stand as she did inthe film.
A haunting footnote to her lifeis this she died of pneumonia
at age 59.
So did Jim Williams, just eightmonths after being acquitted
(24:28):
for the murder of his younglover.
Then there is the unforgettablecharacter Minerva, whose real
name was Valerie Bowles.
Valerie was a Gullah Hoodoopriestess or a root doctor,
suspicious of everyone,strong-willed and wildly
foul-mouthed.
Incidentally, some refer to heras being a voodoo priestess,
(24:54):
but there is a differencebetween voodoo and hoodoo.
While voodoo is recognized asan organized religion with
defined rituals and even apriesthood, voodoo is a system
of folk magic used primarily forpersonal gain and benefit.
Bowles rarely allowed herselfto be photographed or even
(25:14):
touched, as she believed thatdoing so would expose her to the
risk of being hexed.
When someone gave her money,they had to first lay that money
down on a table or on the floor.
She never accepted cash oranything else from another
person's hand.
She didn't want to be touchedbecause, as she put it, doing so
(25:36):
would allow the other person toquote, work her hands and cast
a spell on her.
How did such a character playinto the Savannah tragedy?
Well, she was a friend of JimWilliams.
She would give Jim informationabout what was going on in the
community and in return Jimwould give her money.
(25:57):
According to Barrett, during avisit to see Bowles in her South
Carolina home, she led him andWilliams to her common-law
husband's grave in Beaufort tocast a spell on former Chatham
County District Attorney SpencerLawton.
Lawton is the prosecutor whofiled murder charges against
(26:19):
Williams in the fatal shootingof Danny Hansford.
You see, jim Williams very muchbelieved in hoodoo and in the
powers of Bowles, so he enlistedthe help of the priestess to
derail Lawton's case one way oranother.
The hoodoo ceremony wasperformed at Bowles' husband's
graveside, since immense powerwas said to emanate from that
(26:42):
sight, though the powerful rootdoctor was long dead.
Bowles' age at her deathremains uncertain, though some
sources cite her birth year asbeing 1932.
And what about the character ofLuther Driggers?
Was he a real man?
As it turns out, yes, he was.
(27:03):
This character in Barron's bookis loosely based on a real
Savannah resident named MoFetzer, who was a government
chemist.
In the book, this character waspainted as someone who was more
than a little eccentric.
He would often threaten topoison Chatham County's water
supply using the mysteriouscontents in a vial that hung
(27:24):
around his neck.
Berent certainly paintedDriggers as yet another
eccentric writing that he walkedaround with flies hanging from
his lapels on a string.
In reality, fetzer was nothomicidal and the flies, it
seems, were simply an amusingparlor trick.
As an aside, not only did SonnySeeler play the presiding trial
(27:48):
judge in the film, his Englishbulldog, ugga 5, played his
real-life canine predecessor,ugga 4.
In the movie, ugga 5 is seenseveral times walking with John
Cusack, who played Barrett'scharacter, through Beautiful
Forsyth Park in Savannah.
Hmm, there, my sharing of thisspellbinding slice of Savannah
(28:13):
history truly only scratches thetop surface of the first of
many layers.
I'm not quite sure whether thestory, the characters, the
history and the scenery couldhave come together anywhere else
as they did in Savannah morethan 40 years ago, when gunshots
split that May night in 1981and an entire city was forever
(28:36):
changed.
The South is known for itsquirky, eccentric
characteristics, and Savannahdoesn't disappoint, does it?
If you've never visited thiscoastal gem.
I hope that someday you get thechance to A word of caution,
though.
Be very careful in the midnighthour, especially if you're
(28:59):
enjoying a stroll through theparks and cemeteries in the city
, for in that hour the pastmelts into the present and good
gives way to evil.
I'm Carole Townsend, veterannewspaper journalist and
six-time award-winning author.
(29:20):
You can find me on social mediaand check out my website at www
.
caroletownsend.
com.
As always, thanks for listening, and if you're enjoying these
tales of Southern history andlore, I hope you'll tell your
friends.
Subscribe to this podcast onSpotify, apple Play, iheart and
(29:42):
anywhere you listen.
My team and I based theretelling of this story on the
following sources of informationthe Georgia Historical Society,
the Coastal Heritage Society,new Georgia Encyclopedia and the
book Midnight in the Garden ofGood and Evil by John Barrett.
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