The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-08-30
AN EXCITING EXECUTION.

The Hanging of George Clark mt Dawson,
Ga, Successfully Accumpl,s shed in the
Presence OF Six Thousand Spectators
The Negroes Kept in Awe by the Presence
of n Military Force.
DAWSON, GA, August 20.
The hanging of George Clarke, colored
lad of eighteen years of age, for an out
rageous assault upon his employers wife,
was witnessed by vast throng. Since
the first of April there have been eighteen
rapes upon white women in Georgia by
negro men. Two of the men have been
lynched, one executed by process of law,
three are awaiting trial and the others
have escaped. Notwithstanding the
enormity of the crime for which George
Clarke was executed, the coored people
took it into their heads that the manner
of his conviction was persecution. They
were intensely interested in the
| trial, and when sentence was
pronounced, they assembled in little
knots and discussed the case as though
Clarke was martyr, dyingon account of
his color, strange as 1t NAV seem, one OF
the strongest points OF grievance that the
colored people had WAS that Clarke was
sentenced to be executed on Monday in
stead of the traditional Friday. This
change of day looked like crookedness to
| them. 1t was not until Saturday evening
however, that the alarm took such shape
as to demand notice. The negroes were
assembling on the outskirts OF the town
from all quarters. 1t was asserted that
during the night an attack would be made
on the Jail. Mayor Cheatham at late
hour autographed Governor Nc Daniel at
Atlanta for troops. In answer the Gov
ernor gave orders that the military COM
pany nearest Dawson was to proceed
there and preserve order. In conse-
| quence, Captain Wool DIX. of the A bany
| Guards, who also figured in the suppress
| sion of the ate Allapape riot, was or
| dered to proceed at once to Dawson. In
the meantime affairs here were threaten.
| ing. Negroes openly talked OF killing
any white man VINO caused one of
! their own color 10 be shot The
Albany Company failed to ar.
| rive at the expected time, and
it began to look as if the negroes would
| have tn ir own way. 1t was not until
| little while before the execution that the
Guards arrived. The train had been
wrecked near Albany, evid ntly by &C
! completes of the Dawson negroes. The
| damage to rolling stock and track is con-
! siderable, but none of the Injuries re-
ceived by the military will, it is thought,
result seriously. They built camp-ires
and passed the night as best they could
until train came along on which they
could proceed They did not reach
Dawson until eight O'clock in the
morning. Their arrival with bayonets
fixed, drew out many curses from the
negro leaders, who found they had been
foiIed. One or two bricks were thrown,
but before the fusi.ade had gained any
| proportions a report that the militia were
about to open fire flew through the
throng, and the entire crowd stampeded
in rush, may being trampied under
foot during the panic. At twelve
! O'Clock Clarke was taken from
his cell, and under escort
of the troops marched to an open field in
the rear of the jail, and at 1920 O'Clock
he was ged in the presence of 5000
or 1000 spectators without any opposing
! demonstration of any sort The mob
slowly dispersed to the negro quarters.
The negroes now propose TO give Clarke's
body an imposing burial, when the.
trouble between the races may be re-
] ueWed.