The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-25
Beware, all darkies. You will
be treated the same way"

Before being finally lynched, Strick-
land was given a chance to confess to
the misdeeds of which the mob supposed
him to be guilty, but he protested his IN
nocence to 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 warm
ings that death was in store for him
should he fail to confess his completely
in the Crawford murder. Three times
Strickland proclaimed his innocence, I'M
til, weary of useless torturing, the mob
pulled on their rope and tied the end
around the slender trunk of the persim-
mon tree. Not a shot was fired by the
mob. Strickland was strangled to death.
TRIED TO SAVE HIM.
The lynching of Lige Strickland was
not accomplished without a desperate ef-
fort on the part of his employer to save
his life The man who pleaded for the
negro is Maj. W. w. Thomas, an ex-
state senator and one of the most promi-
nent citizens Of Coweta county. He did
not discontinue his efforts until he had
been assured by the leaders of the mop
that the negro would be taken to Jail at
Fairburv. One mile from where this
nronoise was made Lige Strickland was
hanged
The negro was a tenant on the planta-
tion of Mai. Thomas. When Sam Hose,
the murderer Of Alfred Crawford and
the assailant of his wife, made his con-
fession. Immediately prior to his burning,
he IMPLICATED Lige Strickland. Hose say
ing he had been offered money by Strick-
W. known posi-
+ivelv. 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.
Sunday night about fifteen men went
10 the plantation of Maj. Thomas and
took Lige Strickland from the little cabin
in the woods, that he called home, leav-
ing his wife and five children to wall
and weep over the fate they knew was
In store for the negro. Their cries aroused
Mai Thomas, and he followed the lynch
ers in his buggy, accompanied by his son,
William Thomas, determined to save, If
possible, the life of his plantation darkey.
DRAMATIC SCENE.
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 weirdest and
most dramatic scene this section has
ever known
Lige Strickland was halted directly op-
posite 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 be-
fore dying to confess his completely in the
crime. He replied:
II have told you all I know, gentle
men. You can kill me If you wish, but
] know nothing more to tell.''
The negro's life might have been ended
then, but for the arrival of Maj. Thomas
who leaped from his buggy and asked
for hearing. He asked the crowd to give
the negro a chance for his life here or
the streets of Palmetto, 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 $40 since he has been or
my place. He has never done any OF
you any harm, and now 1 want you tc
promise me that you will turn him over
to the bailiff of this town in order that
he may be given hearing. do not ask
that you liberate him. Hold him, and il
the courts adjudge him guilty, hang
him.
To this the mob replied that Strickland
had inhamed the negroes In the neigh
borhood, and had a bad reputation, hav-
ing been run away from East Point sew
eral years ago.
Maj. Thomas reminded the mob that the
negro had voluntarily told of seeing Hose
on the night Of the murder. A member OF
the mob replied that Strickland had done
this in the cunningness of his guilt, to es-
tablish his cwn innocence There were
some, however, who agreed with Mai
Thomas, and after discussion a vote
was taken which was supposed to mean
life or death to Lige Strickland The vote
to let him live was unanimous.
MOB DEFIED.
Maj. Thomas then retired some distance
ana the mob was preparing to send
Strickland in a wagon to Newman when
a member of the mob cried out:
We have got him here; let's keep him. "
This again aroused the mob, and a mes
senger was sent to Maj. Thomas to leave
Palmetto for his own good. but the old