Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-04-28
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
Horrible Fate of a Negro Muir
derer in Georgia.

nirs---FutIIe Plea for Justice by ex-
Gov. Atkinson.
Newman, Ca. was the scene Sunday of |
one of the most horrible lynchings that has |
ever taken place in the United States. On |
that day Sam Hose, negro, was chained |
TO tree and was mutilated by mob, after |
which he was covered with oil and was |
burned to death and his body was cut in |
pieces and distributed among the 25OO
men who witnessed the terrible deed. The
circumstances of the crime are among the
most revolving that ever smirched the good
name of any civilized community.
Hose was employed as a farm hand by
Alfred Crawford, who lived about two
miles from Palmetto, Ga. On April IL,
while Crawford was eating in the dining
room, Hose crept in and struck him with
an ak, crushing his skull and killing him
instantly. Hose then snatched Mrs. Gran
| ford's baby from her arms and hurled it
against the wall and then assaulted the
mother while her clothes soaked up the
blood of her murdered husband.
Hose then went to the farm of some
brothers named Jones between Macon and
| Columbus and went to work. From there
! he fled to the cabin of his mother where he
blackened his ginger" face to escape de-
| lection. When the Jones brothers learned
of the crime they started out to arrest
Hose in order to obtain the reward of
| $l250 which was offered for his capture.
They found Hose Saturday and started
with him for Atlanta. The news of Hoses
capture reached Newman ahead of the
train, and when the train reached that sta
ton it was surrounded by large mob who
took the prisoner to the public square.
Here ex Gov. Atkinson of Georgia and
Judge A. d. Freeman pleaded with the
mob TO let the law take its course, but they
were hooted at, and threats to kill them
were made. The instant their voices had
died away shouts of, "On to Palmetto!
Burn HIM" "Think of his crime!" arose,
and the march was resumed.
The mob, which now numbered nearly
1900, started on the road to Palmetto. A
line of buggies and vehicles of all kinds,
their drivers fighting for position in line,
followed the procession, at the head OF
which, closely guarded, marched the negro
One and half mile out of Newman a
place believed to be favorable to the burn
ing was reached. little to the side of
the road was a strong pine tree. Up to
this the negro was marched his back
placed to the tree and his face to the
crowd, which jostled closely about him.
Here for the first time he was allowed to
talk He said:
al am Sam Hose. killed Alfred Gran
ford, but was paid to do it. Iige' Strick-
land, the negro preacher at Palmetto, gave
me $12 to kill him."
81 did not outrage Mrs. Crawford.
, Somebody else did that. | can identify
5 them. Give me time for that"
: The mob would hear no more. The
clothes were torn from the wretch in an
l instant. A heavy chain was produced and
3 wound around the body of the terrified ne
gro and fastened around the tree. He said
not word to this proceeding, but at the
sight of three or four knives in the hands
of several members of the crowd about
him, which seemed to forecast the terrible
!, ordeal he was about to be put to, he sent
Y up a yell which could be heard for a mile
!, Instantly hand grasping a knife shot out
5 and one of the Negroes ears dropped into 6
: hand ready to receive it.
< Hose pleaded pitifully for mercy, and
e begged his tormentors to let him die. His
, cries went unheeded. The second ear
s went the way of the other. Hardly had
Y he been deprived of his ears than his fin
/ gers. one by one, were cut off and passed
e among the members of the yelling and now
- thoroughly maddened crowd. The words
n Come on with the Dill" brought can Of
It kerosene to the foot of the tree where the
a negro, his body covered with blood from
e head to foot, was striving and Juggling al
= his chains. The can was lifted over the
negro's head by three or four men and it,
= contents poured over him.
n By this time a good supply of brush
It pieces of fence rail and other frewood haG
h been placed about the negroes feet Thii
o was thoroughly saturated and match ap
d piled. A flame shot upward and spread
e quickly over the pile of wood. AS it licked
o the negroes legs he shrieked once and be
/ gan Juggling at his chains. AS the flames
crept higher and the smoke entered hi
eyes and mouth Hose put the stumps of hi
hands to the tree back of him and with
= terrific plunge forward of his body sew
: cred the upper part of the chains which
: bound him to the tree. His body, held t,
y y the tree only by as far as the thighs, lungec
, forward, thus escaping the flames whicl
= roared and cracked about his feet. On
N of the men nearest the burning negr
" " quickly ran up and pushing him back said
y 70 Get back there into the fire." and quickl
% coupled the disjointed links of the chain.
" The road from a distance of half mil
- on each side of the burning negro was blacl
= with conveyances and was simply impassa
~ be The crowd surrounded the stake o.
y all sides, but none of those nearer than 10
q feet of the centre were able to see wha
y, was going on. ell after yell went up an
y the progress of the flames was commun
-, Gated to those in the rear by shouts fror
y the witnesses. The torch was apple
=; 70 about $3.50 and at o'clock the body @
- Sam Hose was limp and lifeless, his hea
!. hanging to one side. The body was nc
sc cut down. 1t was cut to pieces. TIL
u crowd fought for places about the smou
dering tree and with knives secured sue
pieces of his carcass as did not fall t
pieces. The chain was severed by han
as mers, the tree was chopped down, and il
h fragments, with such pieces of the fire
n wood as had not burned, were carrie
he away as souvenirs.
al A Plea for the Mob.
Id The Atlanta, Ga, Constitution said in il
IN issue of Monday.
to 'The terrible expiration which San
h Hose was forced to pay for his crime wi
is arouse a flood of discussion carried on b
's those who know the facts on the one sid
as and by those who do not care for facts o
al the other.
ne "But, while the form of this criminal
at punishment cannot be upheld, let those VIII
are disposed to criticise it look into til
facts-and by these facts temper the judl
IN ment they may render.
of San unassuming, industrious and hare
D. working farmer after his days toll sat
l.