The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-25
But Georgians Refused to
Show Any Mercy to the
Aged Man.
MAJOR THOMAS PLEA
Insisted That the COlored Prisoner
Was Guiltless and Did His
Best to Save Him.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

Special Dispatch to The Call.
PALMETTO, Ga, April 24.-T-he
body Of Lige Strickland, the negro
preacher who was implicated in the
Crawford murder by Sam Hose, was
found swinging to the limb of per-
simmon tree within mile and quar-
ter of this place early to-day. Before
death was allowed to end the sufferings
of the negro his ears were cut off and
the small finger of the left hand was
severed at the second joint. These
trophies were in Palmetto to-day. On
the chest of the nero was a scrap Of
blood-stained paper, fastened with an
ordinary pin. On one side of this paper
was written
New York Journal: We aust pro-
tect our ladies. %, 99."
The other side of the paper contained
a warning to the NEGROES lie neigh
borhood 1t read as follows:
Beware, all darkies. You will be
treated the same way"
Before being finally lyncho1 Strick-
land was given ~Hance to confess to
the misdeeds of which the mob sup
posed him to be guilty, but he protest
ed his innocence until the end.
Three times the moose was placed
around his neck, and the negro was
drawn up and three times he was let
down, with warnings that death was
in store for him should he fail to con-
fess his completely in the Crawford
murder Three times s. ckland pro-
claimed his ir~oo~ e, until, weary Of
useless torturing, the mob pulled on
the rope and tied the end around the
slender trunk of the persimnon tree.
Not a shot was fired by the mob.
Strickland was strangled to death.
The lynching of Lige Strickland was
not accomplished without a desperate
effort on the part of his employer to
save his life. The man who pleaded for
the negro is Major W. w. Thomas, an
eX-State Senator and one of the most
distinguished citizens Of Coweta Coun-
ty. He did all in his power to prevent
the lynching of the negro and did not
discontinue his efforts until he had
been assured by the leaders of the mob
that the negro would be taken to jail
at Fairburn. One mile froro where
this promise was made Lige Strickland
was hanged. The negro was a tenant
on the plantation of Major Thomas.
When Sam Hose, the murderer of AL
fred Crawford and the assailant Of his
wife, made his confession Immediately
prior to his burning, he implicated Lige
Strickland, Hose contending that he
had been offered money by Strickland
to kill Crawford. 1t was known posi-
lively, however, that Hose had made
false statements in his last confession,
and many of those who aided in his
burning were disposed to disregard his
statement in regard to Strickland.
Late Sunday night about fifteen men
went to the plantation Of Major Thomas
and took Strickland from the little
cabin in the woods that he called home,
leaving his wife and five children to
wall and weep over the fate they knew
was in store for the negro. Their cries
aroused Major Thomas, and that sturdy
old gentleman followed the lynchers in
his buggy, accompanied bv his son, w.
NJ. Thomas determined to save, if pos
sible, the life of his plantation darkey.
He overlook the lynchers with their
victim at Palmetto, and then ensued,
with only the moonlight to brighten
the faces of these grim men, the weird
est and most dramatic scene this sec
ton has ever known.
Lige Strickland was halted directly
opposite the telegraph office. The
moose was adjusted around his neck
and the end of the rope was thrown
over a tree. Strickland was told he
had a chance before dying to confess
his completely in the crime. He re-
piled:
Il have told you all know, gentle
men. You can kill me if you wish, but
1 know nothing more to tell"
The negro's life might have ended
then but for the arrival of Major
Thomas, who leaped from his buggy
and asked for a hearing. He asked
the crowd to give the negro chance
for his life here on the streets OF Pal
metto, and said:
Gentlemen, this negro is innocent.
Hose said Lige had promised to give
him $40 to kill Alfred Crawford, and L
believe Lige has not had $50 since he
has been on my place. He has never
done any of you any harm, and now
I want you to promise me that you will
turn him over to the bailiff of this
town IN order that he may be given
hearing. l do not ask that you liber-
ate him. Hold him, and If the courts
adiudge him guilty, hang him."
To this the mob replied that Strick-
land had infamed the negroes in the
neighborhood and had a bad reputa-
ton having been run away from. East
Point several years ago.
Major Thomas reminded the mob
that the negro had voluntarily told Of