Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-04-25
ACCUSED OF COMPLETELY IN THE
CRAWFORD MURDER.
His Ears Cut On Before He Was Dead
Palmetto Crimes and Lynchings
Have Aroused the Whites
to a Frenzy of Ex-
citement.

the negro, his ears were cut off and the
small finger of his left hand was severed
at the second joint. These trophies were
in Palmetto to-day. On the chest of the
negro was scrip Of bloodstained notepaper
attached with an ordinary pin. On one
side of this paper was written:
New York Journal-We must protect
our ladies. 4-2S-s9.'
The other side of the paper contained
warning to the negroes of the neighborhood
1t read as follows:
Beware, all darkies. You will be treat
ed the same way"
Before being lynched Strickland was CIV
en- chance to confess to the misdeeds OF
which the mob supposed him to be guilty,
but he protested his innocence until the end.
Three times the moose was placed around
his neck and the negro was drawn up off
the ground. Three times he was let down
with warnings that death was in store for
him should he fail to confess his completely
in the Crawford murder. Three times
Strickland proclaimed his innocence until,
weary of useless torturing, the mob pulled
On the rope and tied the end around the
slender trunk Of the persimmon tree Not
a shot was fired by the mob. Strickland
was strangled to death.
The lynching of Lige Strickland was not
accomplished without 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 county. 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 Fair
burn One mile from 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 Alfred Crawford and the as
sailant Of his wife, made his confession i'm
mediately prior to his burning, he inpli-
Gated Lige Strickland. Hose contending
that he had been offered money by Strick-
land 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 re-
gard to Strickland.
Late Sunday night about fifteen men
went to the plantation of Major Thomas
and took Lige 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 gentle
man loho"eo tne lyneners IN ms pusgy'
accompanied by his son, w. M. Thomas
determined to save. II possible. the life Of
his plantation darky
IL o,,o..aoi. ~ ,'
49,. =. uer po,..n .un no s rs WIN .heir VIC
tim at Faimetto and then ensued, with
tndss 3ne rr tho to he na
dramatic scene this section has ever
,-nn1,,n mas e'ei
AIoWh, , s.-..
IlRn Strirkland hQIfad dirppflv
site the telegraph Office The moose was
adjusted around his neck and the end of
tho rone was thrnu,n oy,sr a trea s.r;ot,l
land was told he had chance before dy-
ing to confess his completely in the crime
He replied:
W.. nave 10 ,ula you an l KNOW, gentlemen.
lou can XII me II you wis., nut know
nothing more to tep."
The negro's life might have been ended
- ,aar,a f.a,.. IL. 80. " -,oi ,ina eS
VINO leaped from his buggy and asked for
for hs ss
the streets of Palmetto. and said:
..cont,o,on .h,n 49,. - ,,,.
Gentlemen; this negro is innocent. Hose
,sa,, sa,u n,se hau proliseo " give MN w 10
has not had SO since he has been On nv
place. He has never done any of YOU any
that voI will turn him over 10 tha ho,iiff
Of this town in order that he NAV I he pd,an rivan
a earing 7 do nof ash thaf wc,, I;her,tn
him Haid him nv and II tha no,;rt di,,S mpeate
him guilty hang him 'e ''"' 10 "u'N"se
To This the rnob rsnI,ed that str;,L,,,d
had ,nf,amed the neepnes IN The Siiehha,a nsiehhnri
hood ard had a had renmtation % T sawing
heen rim awav from Eopt paint mas,iS n,,
years ago. Major Thomas reminded tba
mob that the negro had voinnta riIv to,d 'nf af
saeine Hose % On tbe rirh+ ~ tha 5ola ot
member Of the mob reniied thet str;nhi. "A a
had dona +his In The c,.nninns rr S.iiSkianu sS ~
n,iit to astohIish bis nn.n innoo.an VI ms
TThar.. were sopna bnwe,or h,ahouense; j
LII Ms;nr rho,,,a., S w.. VINO agreed
a vote Was tnHen which was sS G,souss'4n IN
d s,ar We ,tasnr m daath mIJn Was supposed 20
nta -, iet h,,,, 1t,,a ~ 10, . Schiahu. Inc
Major T Thomas then I,a1oes. raairnd sor,o dis
.a tSa ,,,,,, .nen ,,, leu.eu some uls,
stn,and eanSJ ad tue T., op % was pseparns 70 SEND
S.lleklaiiu Sk e " th wagon l 10 newman when a
iiiSioei wv ~. -. ,S ro. Uo hS M MSi,su out.
TS,e nave sor o,,nn, MN mere lets keep him"
s.nsn, as sa,, te .ns frSo ana mes
Si,.t maS e. seI. ~; ~ inoIlas 70 ieaVe
asntIe,o aae,o ~. , III, ~ v"n sooo. put the old
SStn,seif an, .nI satS % rSn.snsI ne drew
ni.n'T., ~ up a.u u., saS Snp"aa.icaiy: mp
n,