Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-25

Especial
LEESBURG. Ga, Jan. 21.-verdict OF
the coroner's jury was that the five ne
groes lynched. at Starkville came 20
their death from gunshot wounds at the
hands of parties unknown.
II is rumored that they confessed 10
the murder OF MOreland.
Especial Dispatch to The JournaL)
ALBANY, Ca, Jan. 21.-Forty or nifty
men acting with precision indicative Of
carefully laid plans took I'VE negroes
from the Worth county Jail at Sylvester
last night carried them in automobiles
TO Lee county and hanged them all to
one limb of a tree close by the side of
the principal road leading into Stark
VILE. The negroes were being held in
the Worth county Jail in connection
with the killing of Sheriff Moreland, of
Lee county, who met his death at the
hands of negroes in Worth county dur
ing the Christmas holidays. Starkville
Is a hamlet three miles from Leesburg,
the county seat of Lee county. Men,
bers of the party were not masked.
Sheriff Potts states that he did not rec
cgnize any of them.
Cutting all wires leading north from
Sylvester was included in the plans of
the party. For that reason the fate of
the negroes was not definitely known
until today. hours after they had been
lynched. They were quickly taken from
the Jail, loaded into automobiles and
started north, but nothing more than
that was known for some time. The
bodies, perforated with bullet holes.
were cold when found this morning.
At about 10 o'clock last night Sheriff
L. A. Potts and his jailer at Sylvester,
were awakened by four or five men who
announced that they had captured a
negro and wanted TO place him in Jail
They were admitted bearing a negro
bound with ropes. Suspecting nothing,
the officers watched the men as they
calmly loosened the bonds. Suddenly
the situation changed. however, as the
visitors seized the officers and demand
ed the keys to the cells. They soon
were forthcoming. At that moment
several automobiles were driven in front
of the Jail The men in them hurried
" entered, Joined the men who had
preceded them and all who did not watch
the officers helped get the negroes.
The negroes were rushed out of Jail,
bundled into the machines and all start
ed north at a rapid pace. The officers
Immediately ATTEMPTED to resort to the
was soon ascertained that all lines
north were out of order. Later it was
learned they had been cut.
The bodies were found by Lee county
citizens who were out on the roads early
today apparently under the impression
that there was reason to believe that
if any Of the negroes were taken from
the Jail they would be taken to Lee
county. where Sheriff Moreland was pop
ular. Going out from Starkville a short
distance they encountered the scene of
the 1--WE men hanging to one limb within
full view from the road. Apparently
they had been strung up and then be-
came targets for the men who had taken
them from Jail.
Four of the victims were of one fami-
Iy-Felix Lake and his three sons,
Frank. Dewey and Major. The fifth was
Rodius Semore.
1t was believed, however, that James
Keith. a negro, was the prisoner most
wanted by the lynchers. 1t was said
tkat there was more evidence against
MIN than any of the others.
Sheriff Potts, however. had taken the
rrecaution to remove him. several days
ago. TO some other jail, the location of
which he has not divulged.