The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-24
Accused of an Awful Crime He
Is Covered With Oil
ANDAMATCH APPLIED
Corpse Carved Into Bits as Sou
Venirs For the Crowd.
Keen Knives of the Butchers
Dismember the Wretch.
Over $500 People Witness the
Scene of Human FerOcity.

Newman, Ga, April 24.-In the pres
ence of nearly $500 people, who sent
aloft yells of defiance and shouts OF
joy, Sam Hose, negro, who committed
two of the basest acts known to crime,
was burned at the stake in a public
road one and one-half miles from here
Sunday afternoon.
Before the torch was applied to the
pyre the negro was deprived of his ears,
fingers and other portions of his an
atomy. The negro pleaded pitifully for
his life while the mutilation was going
on. but stood the ordeal of fire with
surprising fortitude. Before the pody
was cool it was cut to pieces, the poneS
were crushed into small bits, ana even
the tree upon which the wretch met
his fate was torn up and dlsposeu oA o az
souvenirs. The negrO'S heart was cut
in several pieces, as was also MS liVtr.
Those unable to obtain the ghastly
relics paid their more fortunate pos
SCISSORS eXtravaSant sums for tneHl'
Small pieces of bone went for 20 cents,
and a bit of the liver Crisply cooked sofa
for 10 cents. AS soon as the negro was
seen to be dead there was tremendous
struggle among the crowd Whlch VII
messed his tragic end to secure souYe-
Mrs. A rush was made for the stake,
and those near the body were forced
against it and had to fight Tor their
freedom. Knives were quickly produced
and the body was soon dlSmembered.
One of the men who lifted the can
of kerosene to the negroes head IS Sald
to be a native of the commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania. His name is known to
those who were with him, but they re-
fuse to divulge it.
The mob was composed of citizens of
Newman, Griffin, Palmetto and other
little towns in the country round about
Newman, and of all the farmers who
had received word that the burning was
to take place.
w. Y. Atkinson, former governor Of
Georgia. met the mob as he was re-
turning from church and appealed TO II
to let the law take its course. In ad-
dressing the mob he uttered these
words:
Some of you are known to me, and
when this affair is finally settled IN the
courts you may depend upon 1t that L
will testify against you"
member of the mob was seen to
draw a revolver and level it at Governor
Atkinson, but his arm was seized and
the pistol was taken from him. Inc
mob was frantic at delays and would
hear to nothing but burning at the
stake.
but denied that he had assaulted Mrs.
Crawford. Before being put to death
the negro stated that he had been paid
$12 by ''Lge" Strickland. negro
preacher at Palmetto, to kill Crawford.
A mob of citizens is securing the coun-
try for Strickland, who has left his
home, and will lynch him if caught.
Sam Hose killed Alfred Crawford a
white farmer, near Palmetto, and as
sauIted his wife, ten days ago. Since
that time business in that part of the
state has been suspended, the entire
population turning out in an effort to
capture Hose. 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 had been on the farm of the
Jones brothers, between Macon and Col
umbus. since the day after he com
mitted his horrible crime His mother
is employed on the farm, and to her
little cabin he fed as a safe refuge.
She fed him and cared for him, but
it is not believed she knew he was be-
ing hunted for by the authorities. 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. Just below the col
lar of his shirt the copper color was
discernable.
Convinced that the negro had black
ened his face to escape detection, Jones
became convinced that he was the negro
for whom the authorities, assisted by
bloodhounds, had been securing the
country for ten days, and he determined
to arrest him. Sunday morning the
Jones brothers brought the negro into
Macon and put him aboard Central
Georgia train with the intention of
bringing him to Allan a
At Griffin someone recognized Hose
and sent word to Newman. the next sta
ton, that the negro was on the train,
bound for Atlanta. When Newman was
reached a great crowd surrounded the
train and pushed into the cars. The
Jones brothers were told that the negro
could be delivered to the sheriff of
Campbell county there, and that it was
not necessary to take him to Atlanta.
This was not acceded to and the negro
was taken off the train and marched
al the head of a yelling, shouting crowd
of about 500 people to the jail.
Here they turned him over to Sheriff
Brown. taking a receipt for the prison
err, thus making themselves sure of the
s., 500 reward for the arrest and de-