Phoenix tribune., 1918-08-31
AN INNOCENT NEGRO
IS SHOT BY CRUEL
TENNESSEE OFFICERS

Especial to The Phoenix Tribune.)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, August 2S.-
Georgia lynch law tactics were adopt
ed by Constable o. s. Gaines of Knox
county district, and his son. McKin-
ley Gaines; John Burchfield and
Will Howell, all white men, when Sam
Netherland, an ignorant and harm
less negro, was arrested by the con-
stable last Sunday morning and taken
to point ten miles east of Knoxville
and hung to tree until life was al
most extinct, and then cut down and
tai and inhuman treatment was ac-
corded Netherland. Familiarity known
in the Bowery district as "Sleepy
Sam by these savages in an effort to
secure a confession as to who stole
five-gallon keg of whisky that had
been hid in the bushes near Mcmillan
Station.
Netherland told the following story
concerning the affair to a newspaper
reporter. Constable o. S. Gaines and
his son, Mckinley Gaines, John
Burchfield and WIN Howell, two other
white men. arrested me early Sunday
morning telling me that some one had
stolen keg of whisky from its hiding
place near Mcmillan Station. AL
though they did not produce war
rant, they hauled me about in their
automobile, looking for others who
they suspicioned had taken the whis-
ky. They arrested two other colored
men who drive taxicabs about the
city and took them before Esquire
Dobson and procured warrants for
them, and they then decided to take
me to the Mascot jail, which is thir
teen miles from Knoxville They
drove at a rapid rate to the woods
near Mascot and then got out of the
automobile, handcuffed me and pulled
out their pistols and told me l would
have to tell who got the whisky.
repeatedly told them that | didn't
know anything about it, and each time
/ denied having any knowledge of
the whisky they would curse me and
punch me with their pistols. At times
they would stick the barrel of their
pistol in my mouth and command me
TO chew it. They sent to barn and
procured a rope, and, coming back,
they sat down and each one prac-
ticed tying a hangmans knot. They
finally put the rope around my neck,
pulled me up and there ! hung until
l was unconscious. After they let me
down, John Burchfield actually took
Al derringer type pistol. aimed at
my left breast and fired. I only
turned my body in time to keep the
bullet from piercing my heart. The
bullet struck me in the shoulder
After treating me in this manner, they
left me and Mr.. Tom Cox, white
man. came along and gave me money
TO catch train and come to Knox
VILE"
The above story causes a chill to
run through the body of every law
abiding citizen of this section. AL
though there is law in Tennessee
against the transportation of liquor
in the state, this officer of the law
had knowledge of whisky being in the
district. and when il was stolen, pos
sibly by some member of the drunken
bunch that administered the inhuman
treatment to Sam Netherland, the in
nocent and harmless negro, they en-
ployed these lynch law methods in an
effort to secure a confession or some
information as to where their whisky
was.
Warrants were procured for each of
the men and Burchfield was arrested
at Sevieryille, having fled to that Sec
ton following his action on Sunday,
and the other three men, Gaines, his
son. and Howell. were arrested at
their homes by Constable N. s. Simp-
son. They are charged in the war
rants, which were procured before
Esquire William Sellers. with feloni-
GUS assault. The case is being inves-
tigated by the grand jury.
Attorneys w. F. Yardley and George
McDade, Jr.. are representing Sam