Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-01-31
AMERICUS Man
At CORDELE
LYNCHING
MOB WAS BUSINESS LIKE
No Question That Right Negro
Was Put to Death

sented at the lynching in Cordele yes
terday, represented not in the capa-
city of lyncher, but in the person ot
one of it's leading citizens who was
a witness to the search for the ne
gro, the storming of the jail and the
hanging of the negro, of whose guilt
there was no doubt
w. T. Lane, Esq, who spent Mon
day night and yesterday morning in
the excited little capital of Crisp
county, came up on the noon train
with full details of the incident.
The young lady who was outrag-
ed" said Mr.. Lane, lis about seven
teen years of age. Her home is dt
or near Rhines. The news of the
assault brought a train load of de-
| termined armed men up from the
vicinity OF her home, probably a hun
dred or more coming in on the mi /
night train. They unquestionably
meant business and only needed 10
know who the guilty party was to put
an end to his career then and there
Rumor had it that the man was lock-
ed up in the calaboose The crowd
went there but the chief of police
showed them through the building
and satisfied them that no one was
held there as suspect
"A thorough search of the negro
houses in the city was made and ey-
cry suspected negro was closely ex-
amined. The victim of the assault
had given a very clear description of
her assailant. One negro was cap
tured at whom the finger of suspi-
cion pointed. There was really good
reason to regard him as the guilty
party. Cool heads prevailed and he
was taken to the young lady, who
stated positively that he was not the
guilty man. He was not further mo-
Tested. The men were determined to
find the right man, not to simply kill
neGro irdiscriminately
The guilty parry, when fond, was
in bed. When tie men entered his
room he said: 81 know what you have
come for" and seemed unconcerned.
He stated that he understood all ne
gro houses were being searched AMI
that was what he meant. He an
swered he description, and there
We're other reas MS to regard him as
the man wanted When taken be-
fore the victim he was promptly rec
ognized by her. Three times she
identified him when taken into her
presence Scratches on his face,
where she had used her tingernails
in fighting him. were a strong cor
roborative evidence. and with her
Identification clearly satisfied every
one that he was the party wanted.
This negro had previously been
looked upon with much distrust He
has on one or more occasions been
found in the women's room at the de
pot had been regarded as a Peep
ing Tom and was under suryeilancn
His reputation and actions bore out
other evidence against him.
"The mob was business-like in its
methods and made no attempt at dis
guise. How many there were acting
together and how many were there
as spectators it would be hard to say
Probably a couple of hundred men
were in the actual lynching party
The sheriff and police were seize1
The sheriff refused to surrender the
keys Blacksmiths from the railroad
shops and mechanics from the ga
RACES were impressed into service
with their tools and the successive
doors were opened through their aid
The negro was led through the mail
streets, with great crowd follow
) ing, taken into the negro section, and
there hanged to a tree. Hundreds o.
/ bullets were then fired into the body
which was left hanging.
mo violence was done to any othei
negro. There was another negro r
: the Jail charged with the murder o.
white man. Some hot heads urge
that he be lynched, but this was
frowned down.
"The solicitor general made ;
y speech to the mob, stating that Judg
: George would call an extra session
a of the court at once to try the man
e but it was useless appeal. The me-
. were determined that the negro's liz
. should pay the penalty immediatel
for his crime