▁voting . ▁Mississippi ’ s ▁constitution ▁itself ▁was ▁rat ified ▁by ▁a ▁constitution al ▁convention ▁of ▁ 1 3 4 , ▁of ▁which ▁all ▁but ▁one ▁member ▁were ▁white . ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁constitution al ▁convention ▁also ▁refused ▁to ▁submit ▁the ▁constitution ▁to ▁the ▁state ’ s ▁vot ers ▁for ▁appro val , ▁instead ▁ordering ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁adopted ▁immediately . ▁ ▁Tri al ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁in ▁the ▁Circ uit ▁Court ▁of ▁Washington ▁County , ▁Mississippi , ▁the ▁pla int iff , ▁Henry ▁Williams , ▁had ▁been ▁ind icted ▁for ▁murder ▁by ▁an ▁all - white ▁grand ▁j ury , ▁and ▁conv icted ▁by ▁an ▁all - white ▁petit ▁j ury ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁be ▁h anged . ▁The ▁pla int iff ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁j ury ▁selection ▁as ▁the ▁j ury ▁was ▁selected ▁from ▁el ig ible ▁vot ers ▁and ▁the ▁pla int iff ▁alleg ed ▁the ▁trial ▁was ▁in app ropri ate ▁as ▁the ▁" def endant ' s ▁race ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁represented ▁im partial ly ▁on ▁the ▁grand ▁j ury ▁which ▁presented ▁this ▁ind ict ment ," ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁dep riv ed ▁of ▁equal ▁protection ▁under ▁the ▁law . ▁He ▁made ▁a ▁motion ▁to ▁qu ash ▁the ▁ind ict ment ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁the ▁j ury ▁was ▁selected ▁under ▁disc rimin atory ▁laws ▁in ▁Mississippi ’ s ▁constitution , ▁which ▁viol ated ▁the ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ment . ▁His ▁motion ▁was ▁denied ▁because , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁court