The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
THE NAN VINO wAsx' lrNcnED.
More About the Tramp Who. with n Rope
Aronnd HIS Neck, Dened the Mob.

More Abnut inc Tramp ~ " % WIN - INOpe
Around Hts Neck, Dened the Mob.
from the Atlanta Journal
Nov. 2O.-"I told that big dufTer
who put the rope around my neck and seemed
so anxious to yank me mp that | would live to
sec the geese pick tho grass of his grave, and
I'll do II. too
The speaker was I. J. Sykes, the tramp who
came so near being lynched bv an Infatuated
mob of citizons of this city one day last summer,
and only saved himself By his remarkable COOL
ness and nerve-a nerve which is not displayed
once in a lifetime.
Sykes is no ordinary man. There is something
about his every movement and word which
naturally interests and mys;ihes one. He is
clearly an enigma. and yet there is no apparent
desire on his part to appear as such. This now
famous tramp hero is about 8 feet 8, weighs
lao. has sandy mustnche. wavv light hair, thin
tapcring nose. and large. clear blue eyes. His
case is one of the most remarkable that ever
occurred IN Georgia.
on the day OF his trouble a tramp called ut the
house of Mr.. George Crouch. n farmer in the
northwestern section OF the city. ana asked for
a trade was made for him 10 pull some fodder.
The tramp went Oft toward the field. and in a
short time Louise. the little daughter. went run
n.ng in the house and told her mother that the
man had scared her. There came a storm
when tho mosher gave the alarm md
a child had been assaulted few rapidly
over the city. and 1t was not long before there
was n determined crowd OF men armed with
rifles, shotEuns,anl pistols. securing the city and
county in search Of the fend. Later in the day
the officers discovered n thin and Gannt-!ooking
man walking about the city. This was sykes.
He was thought TO be the man that had been TO
the Crouch home. and was told SO.
Il attn not the man you are hunting for" was
The mans nerve struck the officer. and he did
not believe that he hal the right man. and
when sykes was asked IL he would 20 with him
his reply was that he would 20 anywhere. as he
had been everywhere and a little bit beyond"
The queer citizen Of the road was taken to the
home Of the little girl and there he was iden-
titled. II looked rather bilious for Sykes. but he
held a tight grip on his courage and quietly re-
marked that he was as innocent AS n mau who
had never seen the city OF Columbus, The
the lynching. and u big butcher ran to a horse
which was hitched near by and cut the halter
for sykes and placed II around his neck. while
cries OF Hang hin; Hang him: went up
fFS Max the mo ,ninria' nSa ECO se ,o,d s ihe@ was as cool as
u will die an innocent man. hanged by cow
ardly %ruilans. II you have any spark OF brewery
cent OF a crime which | detest and abhor as
much as any man."
Looking the butcher squarely in the eyes. he
told them the words which open this story.
Standing there on the roadside with the rope
around his neck. with not a tremoI over his
tain death seemed TO be staring him in the face,
but he never tinched. But with wonderful
GOODNESS lie read the riot act and deaed them to
do their worst. declaring that they didn't have
the d" grit to come NJ him one Mt u time. and
that IL they did he would wipe up the whole
shooting match"
There were men ther. who then believed in
the mans innocence. and these began to speak
up. After a time II was decided to postpone the
l~yncliug and let tho law take its course.
Sykes was carried to jail. quite a crowd fol-
reached /; again appeared that The effort to get
him might be renewed. Coolly Sykes said to
Jailer Phelts:
lust give me n good gun and I'll take care
OF myself, and don't you doubt it,"
sykes,s preliminary trial was a remarkable
which sworo that they had seen Sykes In tho
vicinity "t the Crouch sssidence early that
morning. and the other that they had seen the
same man n: the union depot at the very time
the crime WAS alleged TO have been committed.
attempt at assault had been made. Sykes was
bound over. but his attorney. Mr.. II. V. Har-
gett. went out among the citizens and soon sue
ceedcd in making a subscrt ption:b Men
who had seen the truly wonderful bravery dis
PLAYED by the fr!endless man did not believe
that he could be guilty of the crime charged.
and they were willing to back their judgmcn
with their signatures TO the bond for his appear
When the bord was signed and Sykes was re-
leased he thanked the gentlemen who had be-
themselves no uneasiness, as he would be
present when wanted. He went right out and
heSan to hpni TorK, ana Ra, naSSee shon IN d nmding a
he has worked every day when there was any
Thing 70 do eyer since and it is to his credit
and throughout the State. says that he is a
faithful man.
Las, week the Grand Jury failed to find a true
bill against him and he WAS declared free.
Sykes was the picture Of happiness and said:
81 told some of those buffers that 1 would see
them later. and | will. | expect to stay here
Just as long ms want to. and want some of
those frisky fellows to try any didoes with me
and we will have a little fun sure enough
How does II feel to be lynched ~
have never feared DEATH Sykes said. and
! suppose | was about as near ready To go as |
ever was or ever will be. I have never harmed
n living creature. though a good many have
done me kin folks. for instance. No. ! was not
bothered about where | was going TO land IL
they did put me out Of the way. | was not
thinking about that. l WAS thinking about
what n disgrace IL would be for an honest
man to be yanked off by such hand:
sawed specimens OF humanity. Now. It is all
right to he blown up in n mine. run over by an
express wagon. starved for want OF a bit of
charity. but didn't propose 10 be sent across
the river bY n mob OF such men rs charged upon
me that day. | have too much respect for nv
good name for anything like that. ! had the
consciousness or knowing that | had never
harmed n living creature. Ind never been In n
place where ! was afraid to go back. and the
feelings OF really being almost at the end of my
earthly career did not give me the least concern.
1t was, as | say, tho manner OF going.