FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 1995                             (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

                                          
      ALABAMA MAN INDICTED FOR MAILING THREATENING LETTERS
                  TO AFRICAN AMERICAN CITIZENS
                                
     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Alabama man who allegedly mailed
threatening letters to black citizens in the town of Chickasaw
telling them to go back to Africa and intimating that the area
was going to become a "nigger graveyard" was indicted by a
federal grand jury, the Justice Department announced today.
     The four count indictment, returned in Mobile, alleged that
Daniel Stephen Williamson violated civil rights laws by mailing
threatening letters to two Chickasaw families because they were
black.  The letters, which were mailed in July, contained graphic
and explicit threatening language and warned the black families
to "get out while you can."  
     "This indictment shows that racially motivated hatred is not
a thing of the past,"  said Assistant Attorney General for Civil
Rights Deval L. Patrick.  "We are committed to the vigorous
prosecution of all cases that reflect the discrimination that
still exists in society."
     Counts one and three of the indictment charged Williamson,
of Saraland, Alabama, with knowingly depositing a letter in the
mail which contained threats to injure the individuals to whom
they were addressed.  Counts two and four alleged that Williamson
violated civil rights statutes by attempting to intimidate and
interfere with the rights of the victims because of their race.
     "The type of outrageous conduct alleged in the indictment
will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the full limits
of the law," said J. Don Foster, U.S. Attorney in Mobile.
     If convicted, Williamson faces a maximum sentence of 12
years imprisonment and up to $700,000 in fines.
     "Incidents like these remind us all that intolerance is
still alive in our great nation," added Patrick.
     A copy of the indictment, which contains the text of the
letters, will accompany this release.
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95-166