The record-union., 1899-04-24
NEGRO BURNED
AT The STAKE.
How Gsorgians Punished a
RaYisher.
Two Thousand People Witnessed His
Execution.
Murdered the Husband Before He
Assaulted the Wife, and People
Have Been Hunting for Him
More Than a Week-Claimed
That He Was Instigated to the
Murder by Negro Preacher.

That He Was Instigated to the
Murder by Negro Preacher.
NEWMAN (Ga.), April 23.-In the
presence of nearly 1000 people who sent
aloft yells of defiance and shouts OF
joy, Sam Hose, a negro, who commit
ted two of the basest acts known in the
history of crime, was burned at the
stake in public road, one and a half
miles from this city. The torch was
applied to the pyre, the negro deprived
of his ears, fingers and other portions
of his anatomy. The negro pleaded pit
fully for his life while the mutilation
was going on, but stood the ordeal of
fire with surprising fortitude. Before
the body was cool it was cut to pieces,
the bones were crushed into small bits
and even the tree upon which the
wretch met his fate was torn up and
disposed of as souvenirs.
The negros heart was cut in several
pieces as was also his liver. Those un-
able to obtain the CHASTITY relics direct,
paid their more fortunate possessors
extravagant sums for them. Small
pieces of bone went for % cents, and
| bit of the liver crisply cooked sold for
| 10 cents. AS soon as the negro was
| dead there was a tremendous struggle
among the crowd which had witnessed
his tragic end to secure the souvenirs.
A rush was made for the stake and
those near the body were forced against
it and had to fight for their freedom.
Knives were quickly produced and the
! body was soon dismembered.
One of the men who lifted the can Of
kerosene to the negro's head is said to
be a native of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania His name is known to
those who were with him, but they re-
fused to divulge it.
| The mob was composed of citizens of
Newman, Griffin, Palmetto and other
! towns in the country roundabout New
nan.
General Atkinson met the mob as he
was returning from church and appeal
ed to them to let the law take it's
course
| A member of the mob was seen to
draw revolver and take aim at Gen
eral Atkinson, who in speaking. said he
would testify against the members of
the mob, but he was disarmed.
Before being put to death the negro
stated that he had been paid So by
Lige Strickland, a negro preacher at
Palmetto, to kill Crawford. Tonight
a mob of citizens is securing the coun-
try for Strickland, who has left his
home.
Sam House killed Alfred Crawford, a
white farmer near Pametto and out
ragged his wife ten days ago. Since that
| time business in that part of the State
| has been suspended, the entire pepula-
ton turning out in an effort to capture
him. He successfully eluded pursuit
until discovered near Macon.
Governor Gambler has been asked to
send troops here to preserve order for
a day or two, as it is feared the negroes
may wreak vengeance, many threats to
/ that effect having been made.
Hose has been on the farm of Jones
Bros, between Macon and Columbus
since the day after he committed his
horrible crime. His mother is employ
ed on the farm and he fled to her cabin
| for refuge. The Jones brothers were
not aware of the crime until a few days
ago and were not sure that he was the
much wanted man. Saturday morning
one of the Jones boys met Hose and as
he was talking to him noticed that his
ginger face was ebony black Con-
vinced that the negro had been blacken-
ed to, escape detection and that he was
the man for whom the authorities had
been securing the country, they deter
mined to arrest him. This morning
they brought the negro into Macon and
put him aboard a. train with the inten-
| tion of bringing him to Atlanta. At
| Griffin some one recognized Hose and
sent word to Newman, the next sta
! ton, that the negro was on the train.
| When Newman was reached a great
crowd surrounded the train and pushed
into the cars. The Jones' brothers We're
/ told that the negro could be delivered
to the Sheriff of Campbell County there
and that lit was NOT necessary to take
him to Atlanta This was acceded to,
and he was taken off the train and
marched at the head of a yelling,
shouting crowd of white people to the
Jail.
! Here they turned him over to Sheriff
Brown, taking a receipt for the pris-
oner, thus making themselves sure of
the $3.50 reward offered for his arrest.
Word was sent to Mrs. Crawford at
Palmetto to come to Newman to make
sure of the Identification. In some
way the news of the arrest leaked ous
and spread rapidly. From every
! house in the little city came the occu-
pants and a good-sized crowd was soon
gathered about the Jail Sheriff Brown
was importuned to give up the prisoner
and finally turned the wretch over to
the waiting crowd. A procession
formed quickly and Hose was marched
at its head to the public square
| Governor Atkinson of Georgia, who
| lives in Newman, came hJmriedly on the
scene and standing in a buggy, impor-
tuned the crowd to let the law take it's
course
1.-The law will take it's course said
he, land I promise you it will do so
quickly and effectively. Do not stain
the honor of the State with a crime
such as you are about to perform
] Judge A. D. Freeman, also of New
nan, spoke i'm a similar strain
| The assemblage heard the words of
the two speakers in silence, but the
instant their voices had died away
shouts of "On to Palmetto Burn
him" Think of his erime.'' were heard
on all sides and the march was resumed.
| Mrs. Cranford's mother and sisters
are residents of Newman. The mob was
headed in the direction of their house