The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-04
A LYNCHING AT THOMPSON.
Allen Sturgis Taken from Jail at
Night and Hanged.

THOMSON, GA, June 3.-Allen Sturgis,
negro about 81 years of age, was taken
from the Jail at this place during last night
and lynched The Jail door, which is very
strong, being sheet iron on the outside, was
broken open with a sledge hammer. The
locks were first broken, and then the door
battered in. The work was done with a
very few blows. as the signs OF only five can
be seen. The lock on the cell door was
broken, and Sturgis was taken about half a
mile from the Jail, just outside the cor
porate limits, and hung to large oak,
10 feet from the public road leading
| from Wrightsboro to this place. His arms
were tied behind him and his legs were tied
together. The rope was thrown over a
large limb projecting out toward the road
d securely fastened TO the body of the
tree. His feet were about four feet from
the ground after he fell. The rope was
securely tied around his neck in a knot
something like q hangman'S knot
HIS NECK BROKEN.
His neck was broken. 1t was a set of de-
termined men that did the work, and they
were very quiet, as no one heard any noise
at the Jail or saw any suspicious crowd
during the night The people Of the town
they learned of the lynching, and large
crowds were soon going to aud from the
scene of the hanging. The body was left
hanging to the tree till the Coroner, James
7. johnson, was notified, which was about
II o'clock, when jury was impaneled, and
the following verdict rendered: I'VE, the
jury, find that Allen Sturgis came to his
death on Saturday night, June 2, 1888, by
hanging, by parties to us unknown"
Allen WAS an uOn1iti cra ted rascal and
although quite young, he had served two
terms IN the chain gang
THE CRIME THAT COST HIS LIFE.
On the night of April 20 a negro opened
the window of the room of a very prominent
young lady Of this place for the purpose Of
committing an outrage. and being detected
before getting in, threatened to shoot her if
she moved or made a noise. Since that
time several attempts have been made to
break in houses, and always houses Cccu-
pied by ladies alone On Monday night,
May %. he was caught in the room of Mrs.
Brassford, widow lady. Since his incar-
ceration in Jail he admitted that he was the
man who tried to commit the outrage first
mentioned
While the more conservative of the citi-
zens prefer seeing the law take its course
yet everybody is agreed that it is no more
than what he deserved. Even the colored
people approve Of the step taken and say he
only had justice meted out to him.
HIS BODY REFUSED BY HIS MOTHER.
The mother of Sturgis would have
nothing to do with the body and would not
even let it be carried to her house. The
other negroes also refused to have anything
to do with it. 1t is now in the hands of the
Coroner and constable and they are in com
munication with tho Medical College at
Augusta, preparatory to turning the body
over TO that Institution in accordance with
the provisions of the law. This is the first
lynching that ever took place in McDufiie
county. As rule the people are conserva-
tive and law-abiding and it was only repe-
ttion Of the attempts to commit these per
nicious outra9es that caused the people to
lose their patience and resort to lynch law.