The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-16
NEGRO LYNCHED
 BY GEORGIA MOB
CROWD QUIETLY TAKES PRISON ER FROM JAIL AND HANG HIM TO A TREE, LEAVING PLAcARD ON HIS BREAST.

Atlanta, Ga, May 15.-A special to the Constitution from Appling. Ga, Colum- bia county. says:
 A crowd of about 100 unmasked men forcibly entered the county iail here about midnight last night took out John Cumming. a negro, who was waiting trial upon the charge of criminal assault, and hanged him to tree near the public road. about half a mile from Applina. His body was afterwards riddled with blrdshot and bullets.
 A card was left attached to the negros breast bearing the inscription:
 This is the penalty for rape,
 Yours truly, Brother Dooley."
 The crime for which the negro was lynehed was committed in the upper part of the county last week, and his victim was a 15-year-old girl. The crowd of lynchers was quiet and orderly
 
 for the good of the college and in their ignorance of these underlying facts and of the injustice that was done to Selma, they thought a postponement would do no harm, otherwise they would have voted for immediate action. In It's finel vote, synod by a majority of 50 to 87 de- cided to postpone action until the Sth day of June, 1904. and in taking this action l claim it disgraced the denomination which was represented, because 1t made a direct agreement to decide this matter as soon as it was practicable, and that it was practicable at thls time was shown by the fact that the meeting was more largely attended than any synod before In the history of Alabama. By the fact the synod was a representative one as members from all presbyteries were pres ent; by the fact that they had been sum moned to this meeting for the sole pur- pose of determining ths one question, and the only possible reason that could have prevailed upon them to urge postpone ment was the fact that they had made up their minds not to allow this college to come to Selma.
 1 claim that when one party to a con- tract has carried out the provisions of a contract which applies to him. for the other party to fall to do likewise is a dis grace. and this is exactly the action that synod took when it voted to postpone this matter In the face of our protests All of these circulars and telegrams and let ters which I have quoted above were brought out on the floor of the synod as well as the injustice that was done to Selma by reason of the condition of our subscriptions; by the expiration H our options; by our statement that our sup porters had been there once and could not be brought to another meeting of synod, but the hostility to Selma and combination of all North Alabama and East Alabama against this city were so evident and were so deep-rooted that nothing we could do or say would pro- duce any effect in securing fair play. When we saw this hostility and when synod refused to carry out the provisions of its own call for bids we withdrew our bid and withdrew it finally.
 Right here 1 desire to say that I yield to no man in my loyalty and fealty to
 
 yond the reach of any man or the inter- ests of any clique of men in their ad- vocacy of the location of a college, and the measures pursued were originated and carried out by less than a score of men, and the innocent and unsuspecting were misled.
 So much for the actual occurrences of synod, and now for the motive of all this. During the recess that was taken between and s o'clock that night, the president of the board of trustees stated to the pas tor of the Selma church that if this vote was pressed by the Selma delegation at this meeting of synod, the field would combine against Selma, the matter would be postponed, and that the college would be located in Anniston, One of the most prominent supporters of Bessemers in terests stated to another of the Selma del egation that a combination of some kind had been formed. uniting the field against Selma. Take these statements in con- nectiop with letter received in Selma before the meeting of synod from one of most prominent ministers of another de- nomination in the state of Alabama, who was in Anniston. to another prominent minister in Selma, which contains the fol- lowing:
 "A gentleman stated to me that it is settled fact that Anniston Is to secure the college. The field will unite against Sel- ma, the matter will be postponed, and the college will finally be located at Annls- | ton"
 It seems to me that to any far-mlnded man this would indicate that the com | hnation spoken of had at least been be- 1 gun before the synod of Alabama met in | session at Tuscaloosa, and certainly the 1 combination was perfected at that time. Do you call this flair play" to Selma? | Selma has no further interest in this matter but l. deem It necessary to set. forth fully all the facts in the case In order that those who have so Loyalty supported us may know the grounds or l our withdrawal Yours sincerely, 1 J. F. HOOPER.
 Selma, May 10. 1904