December 10, 1886: George Sparks and Monroe Smith

The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana) dated December 12, 1886:

Negro Robbers Lynched.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Dec. 11.—[Special.]—Geo. Parks and Monroe Smith, both colored, were lynched last night at Ringgold, Ga., 20 miles from this city. The men were in jail. It was visited by 100 horsemen, who compelled the keeper to surrender the men. They were taken to a tree outside of town and hung to a limb.

The town was not aroused and the lynching was not generally known until morning, when the sheriff was notified. He cut down the bodies and held an inquest.

The negroes were aroused on the night of the 4th by a body of armed men who turned them over to the sheriff.

The prisoners were suspected of robbing and firing M. Spadden's house. They confessed their crime, and led their captors to a graveyard where the valuables were hidden.

The News (Frederick, Maryland) dated December 13, 1886:

Two Colored Robbers Lynched.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Dec. 13.—Saturday night about 11 o'clock a mob of masked and unknown men visited the jail at Ringgold, in Catoosa county, Ga., and, after overpowering the jailer, took out two prisoners named George Sparks and Monroe Smith, both colored, and, taking them to a point near the railroad south of town, hanged them to a tree, where they were found yesterday morning and cut down by the authorities. Both the colored men have been engaged in robbing and burning houses in North Georgia for some months, and had come to be the terror of the community. There is no clue to the identity of the lynchers.

Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, California) dated December 12, 1886:

Two Negroes Lynched.

CHATTANOGA [sic], Tenn., December 11.—Last night, about 11 o'clock, a mob of masked men visited the jail at Ringgold, in Caloosa county, Georgia, and after overpowering the jailor, took out two prisoners named George Sparks and Monroe Smith, both negroes, and taking them to a point near the railroad south of town, hanged them to a tree, they were found this morning and cut down by the authorities. Both negroes have been engaged in robbing and burning houses in north Georgia, for some months and came to be a terror to the community. Smith confessed the crime of which the two had been guilty. The latest crime was the robbing and attempted burning of a family residence near Ringgold, on which occasion Smith said they had plotted to murder everybody in the house, rob the building and then burn it. There is no clue to the identity of the lynchers.

Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.