July 31, 1909: Sims Anderson

Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, N. C.) dated August 1, 1909:

BLACK PEEPING TOM LYNCHED IN GEORGIA

TAKEN FROM OFFICERS AND LYNCHED BY MOB AT WELLSTON.

Macon, Ga., July 31.—A special to the Telegraph from Wellston, a town sixteen miles from Macon, in Houston county, says:  Tonight at 6:30 o'clock, Sim Anderson, negro was taken from a deputy sheriff just outside this place and shot to death by a posse of citizens.

Last night the negro was caught peeping into the room occupied by daughters of W. P. Bell.  Bell took a shot at the intruder, inflicting a slight wound.  He was caught this morning and carried to Wellston.

An officer was on his way to Perry with the negro when he was overpowered by the posse.

The Washington Herald (Washington, D. C.) dated August 2, 1909:

"PEEPING TOM" LYNCHED.

Mob Pins Placard of Warning to Breast of Negro.

Fort Valley, Ga., Aug. 1—Sim Anderson a negro, has been lynched for playing "Peeping Tom."  He was seen peeping into the bedroom of Miss Lena Brown, a daughter of a wealthy planter.  the girl screamed and he ran.

The sheriff and his deputies pursued him last night.  As officers were taking him to jail they were overpowered by a mob of fifty men.  The mob tied the officers so they could not interfere and then hanged the negro to a tree by the roadside.  On the negro's breast was pinned a placard bearing the inscription:

"Let this be a warning to all black peepers."

There seems to be a bit of discrepancy between the two articles on how the mob put Anderson to death.  Perhaps he was shot and then hanged.