Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-10-14
Georgia AtrOcity.
Az Armed GANGS MIDSIGHT DESCENT on A
SLEEPING FAMILY.

One of the most horrible outrages ever
committed upon negroes was perpetrated near
Jonesboro' about the close of last July, TWEEN
ty miles from Atlanta. The whole affair
was not only disgrace to the State of Geor-
gia. but a travesty upon the civilization of
the nineteenth century, and the boosted free
dom of our Republic. The Cincinnati Com
inercial's correspondent at Atlanta thus told
the horrible story.
About year ago, Joe Thompson an aged
and decrepit negro, was, with his family, en-
ployed, in Fayette County, Georgia, on the
cotton plantation of John Gray. Thompson's
son, a negro Of sixteen years, was accused by
his employer of the theft of plough, and
Gray, disregarding the ordinary and slow
forms of justice, one day administered a hor-
rible whipping to him in the fields.
Thompson had Gray arrested on a charge
of assault and battery, and so strong was the
testimony against him, and so conclusive the
evidence that the young negro was innocent
| of the theft that Gray was found guilty even
before Georgia jury, and a fine of 500 was
imposed upon his eastigator. Gray now
threatened Thompson and his family with
death, and the poor negro was, with his fam
| lily, forced to leave his unharvested crop and
fee to an adjoining county. He settled on a
plantation two miles from Jonesboro' in
Clayton county, and up to night before last
lived there unmolested, winning for himself
in the community a reputation for honesty
and industry. In the above facts, an outrage
| in themselves, is found the only cause for
second outrage-one of the most horrible of
all those that have occurred in the South
since the emancipation.
In rude log cabin, about twelve feet
square, night before last Joe Thompson and
his family-a wife, son, married daughter
and her two children-huddled themselves
together for nights rest. Little did they
dream that their troubles year ago were to
return to them that night in horrible and
hideous form. About midnight the inmates
of the rude cabin were startled from their
sleep by the crashing in of the door and the
tearing of log from the side of their humble
home. They opened their eyes upon a scene
that would terrify the most dauntess hearts
| a scene not strange to those negroes of the
South who have lived through the era of Ku-
| Kluxsm. A score of armed men, with
painted faces, hideous in disguise, bearing
torches made of rags saturated with kerosene.
yelling like demons, thronged into the door.
| Four seized the aged father by the arms and
| legs. threatening, Cd d--n yod, we came
here to give you good thrashing," and bore
him toward the door; four others seized the
son.
The daughter, sleeping between her two
children, raised up in bed. but a bullet went
crashing through her skull She fell back
corpse, her warm blood squirting out in the
faces of her innocent children. Meanwhile
the father, ignorant of his daughters death.
had been borne out of doors into the field
Four men swung him from the ground by
arms and legs, while the fifth administered
the lash upon his face and body. decorating
him terribly. Near by four others of the
fends held his son, while a similar barbarous
torture was inflicted upon him, until, finally,
in his thirst for blood, one of the midnight
assassins put bullet through the Young
uegro's body from side to side. Their hearts
were still insa.iate for blood. They re-en-
tered the house. dragged Joe Thompson's
aged and unoffending wife from her bed, and
inflicted upon her whipping no less brutal
than that which they had just inflicted upon
father and son. Yelling and waving their
torches aloft, the assassins then departed,
marking the path of their return by firing in
to a neighboring negros house on their way.
Joe Thompson soon recovered conscious ness,
and, dragging his bleeding limbs about his
home. found his son lying fatally wounded
in the field, his daughter living dead between
her children and his wife moaning pitifully
and bleeding from the effects of the lash
Joe Thompson had recognized among the
murderers. John Gray, his former oppressor,
and Jas. McElroy, a brother-in-law of this
human fiend. On the following morning
these two men were arrested for murder, and
incarcerated in the Jonesboro' Jail.
| 1t seems terrible thing that even fifteen
men could have been found in one county in
Georgia who would band together and DELHI
erately march fifteen miles to the commission
of such a crime this. But subsequent
events proved that large class of the resi-
dents Of that county sympathizcd with them
in this outrage. and travelled in arms to
Jonesboro' to effect their release from Jail.
Late last night Governor ColquittIreceived
telegram from the Sheriff of Jonesboro ask
ing him to order the military to that place
Immediately. The men had been arrested.
suspected of completely in the outrage, and
a large crowd had arrived in the city from
Fayette county, and demanded the release of
tho prisoners.
The Jail was then guarded by fifty men,
but \ collision was momentarily expected.
Governor Colquitt, escorted by the Gate City
Guards. repaired to the scene at midnight last
night quelled the riot and returned to Atlanta
with the ten prisoners to-day The negroes
of the community. outraged as they have
been raised no hand against their opposers,
nor even held an indignation meeting. Sub
missive as brutes, they bow helplessly be-
meath the brutality that hus been practiced
upon their race. The whites of Jonesboro
have held an indignation meeting, offered a
reward for the apprehension of the murder
ers, and are in great CONSERVATION from the
fear that this outrage will be used to the det-
riment Of the democratic party in the present
campaign.
entity NJ Vvr0mu.