Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-05-29
GEORGIA MURDERER LYNCHEp.
Negro Was Paid Out of Chain Gang
by Husband Of Murdered Woman,

Cordele, Ga, May 23.-After no
one would claim the body of Jim
Cobb, a negro lynched early to-day
for the murder of Mrs. Roy Simmons.
wife OF prominent white farmer,
and the negro undertakers had de-
clined to handle 1t, it was finally
burned as the only way OF disposing
OF it.
The negro was taken from the jail
here by mob shortly after midnight
this morning, was carried to the
scene where he attacked and killed
Mrs. Simmons, seven miles east Of
Cordele, and hanged. The body af-
terwards was literally shot to pieces.
Following the lynching, the mob,
numbering less than 100 persons, it
is said, quickly dispersed.
Cobb's crime was said to be one Of
the, most brutal ever committed in
this section Of the State. After at
tacking his victim the negro appar-
emily killed her with blow which
crushed her head. The body also had
been stabbed in many places with two
silver table forks. The blood-stained
forks were found in the yard.
Paid Out of Gang.
The negro had been paid out of
the chain gang by Mr.. Simmons and
negro farmer living nearby about
ten days ago. Yesterday he failed to
show up for work and later in the af-
ternoon, after the men at the Sim
mons home had gone out to work.
Cobb is said to have returned to the
house where Mrs. Simmons was alone
with her 3-year-old child.
Will Gibbs, a white boy employed
by Simmons, discovered the body and
notified Simmons.
Every effort was made to be GER
tain that Cobb was the guilty man
before the determined vigilance com
pittee proceeded with their work
and there was no doubt in their
minds of his guilt.
Cobb had borne a bad reputation.
1t was said in the community that he
boasted that he was crazy. Many
citizens feared him and those who
talked to-day said they regretted not
disposing of him sooner. 1t was un-
derstood that Cobb had been regis
tered for army service and was dodg-
Ing from place to place, living under
assumed names. He was about %
years of age.
The only statement, it was said.
that could be gotten out Of him Just
before ending MS life, was that he
wa" innocent, but that he knew two
negroes that committed the crime
This WAS r2mted, however, hy far
Mei ior whom these nesIoes worked,
they having worked on the day of the
crime until after it had been discov-
cred.
There was no one to claim the body
or Cobb. Coroner Fitzgerald was
called to the scene this morning and
soon completed holding the inquest.
The jury returned a verdict to the
effect that Cobb came to his death at
the hands Of unknown parties. The
coroner could get no one to take
charge of the body The colored un-
dertakers would have nothing to do
with it.
A jury holding the inquest over the
body of Mrs. Simmons returned a ver-
dict which laid the responsibility on
the negro Cobb. This inquest was
held by Coroner Fitzgerald after all
the evidence had been gathered that
was possible to secure. While Coro-
ner Fitzgerald was in his car making
an effort to secure help to bury the
lynched negro, somebody came on
the scene and fired & heap Of logs and
piled the body on. After the fire had
been applied 1t was left. The coro-
ner returned to find the remains of
the negro practically consumed In the
blaze that had been started.