The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-07-05
THE GEORGIA BUTcHERY.
Details of the Horrible Slaughter of
Prisoners at Watl1insyille. Ga.

Watkinsville, Ca, June ga mob
entered the Jail at Watkinsville at 2
O'Clock this morning and took there
from nine prisoners, eight of whom
we're shot to death and the ninth es-
capped only by being thought dead by
the mob. TIE prisoners taken out end
lynched were on J. Ayccck, white,
charged with The murder of F. NJ
Holbrook and wife, of Oconoe Coun-
ty, and seven negroes, Rich Robinson,
Lewis Robinson, Claud Elder, charg
ed with the murder of the Hoibrook
couple: Sandy Price. young nergo,
charged with attempted rape upon the
person of Mrs. Weldon Dooley; Rich
Allen, nergo convicted and under
sentence of death for the murder Of
Will Robertson, another negro, Gene
Yerbe, mother nego. charged with the
burglary cf rife from Nh. Marshall,
and Bob Harris, negro, charged with
shooting another negro.
Tie mob came quietly into Watkins
Vile little before = a. NJ. There
were about fifty to seventy-five men il
the crowd All we're heavily masked
and no one knows whence they came
or to what point they returned. They
went at ouce to the house of Town
Marshal L H. Aiken and quietly call
ed him to the door. AS be put his
bead out of the door be was seized and
told that he must deliver the jail key.
He refused, and the men put pistols
in his face and overpoWered him, be
being rather small man. Aiken re-
fused to dress, but some Of the party
dressed him and carried him along.
The mob next seized Courteney Elder,
blacksmith, and made him bring his
tools along with him. On their way
to the Jail they were met by a. W.
Ashford, a prominent citizen of Vat
kinsville, who had heard the noise at
the marshal's house and came
down. town as soon as he could dress.
Mr.. Ashford begged tie men to de-
sist and let the law take its course,
especially pleading for Aycock, on the
ground that tie evidence had not been
secured to warrant his conviction. He
also begged them not to lynch those
not charged with capital crimes They
told him that they we're cool, sober
and determined, and that he might as
well 90 back home and go to bed.
The Jail was then opened by the town
marshal under the cover Of several
pistols, and inside the Jail the mob
held up Jailer Crow and demanded
the keys to the cells. He refused at
first, but surrendered them after being
menaced with guns. Jailer Crow beg
gad hard fo rAycock on the same ground
that Mr.. Ashford did, and also for the
nh oh
capital crimes Members of the at
tacking party told him to shut his
mouth They knew what to do they
said, and they we're going to clear out
the whole Jail.
The mob got every prisoner in the
Jail except Ed Thrachers negro charg-
ed with gambling, who was on the
m1sdemeanor side of the prison and
was not noticed The prisoners were
carried to point scme one hundred
yards from the Jail and tied to three
fence posts by their recks. Aycock
protested his innocence to the last.
he said they were killing an innccsnt
man. While tne general belief II
Oconee County is tbsr Aycock was
not guilty, still there were many VINO
OIQ uOU UGllcNo ISlSo AecCAi~'u
said it was all right. so fer as he was
concerned, but that three mere
negroes were in the nolbrook murder
He named Sidney Norris, jim Taylor
and Wiley Durham. as the three inlpll-
catad. These negroes had been in jail
before on this charge and had been
released after full investigation by the
committee. The other prisoners did
rot open their mouths during their
march to their DOOM.
After the prisoners had been tied 20
the fence posts tie mob lined up and
fred five volleys into their bodies.
All died without struggle except
Joe Patterson, negro who was charg
ed with pointing a gun at Albert Ward.
Patterson was shot several times III
the body but was alive after the mob
left and will recover.
Aycock's body was fairly riddled
with shot, great hole was torn
through his heart and another through
his right breast.
The body Of negro who had evi-