December 24, 1871: George Duncan

Today's lynching is very short as every article I could find on this lynching shared the same information. Our paper today is the Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) dated December 30, 1871:

Homicide and Lynching in Kentucky

CINCINNATI, O., December 29.—Last Friday evening, says a correspondent of the Times and Chronicle, a man named Browning, accompanied by others, went to the house of George Duncan, a colored man, in Braxton county, Kentucky, to whip the latter, or eject him from the house. Duncan showed fight, and on the door being broken down by his assailants he fired into the crowd, killing Browning. Duncan was captured and taken to the Brookville jail in his shirt and drawers. Sunday night at nine o'clock fifty-two disguised armed men took him from the jail and started in the direction of Powersville. Duncan made an effort to escape, but was recovered and finally hung to a tree a mile and a half from Brookville. There was great excitement in the place on Monday, and it was not easy to procure information.

A quick note: the Brookville mentioned is actually Brooksville, Kentucky which is in Bracken County. Some papers did have it listed as Bracken, some as Braxton. One Indiana paper, in a piece on lynching in Indiana, stated that the Brookville lynching was only an attempt but I could find no other papers to support that claim. Also Brookville is very clearly in Kentucky, on the Ohio side at that, and not in Indiana so I suspect the editor was mistaken. 

Thank you for joining us, and as always, we hope we leave you with something to ponder.

June 4, 1871: George Sharkovich (Austrian George)

Today's lynching will point out just how easy it is for contemporary newspapers to mix up their information. Just a warning folks, this post is a bit long and slightly repetitive. Feel free to skim a little through the accounts. Now that you've had your warning I'd like to introduce you to the case of George Sharkovich (Austrian George, Australian George, Portuguese Joe.) George Sharkovich (Austrian or Slavic?) murdered a young woman known as Miss McDaniel's. After a day or two of running, he was found, shot by a group of men, and then burned by a mob in the remains of his cabin, which the mob tore down. I was only able to find two papers which mentioned his actual name, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Feather River Bulletin. Both papers are from California, where the murder occurred and most likely are the most accurate. Unfortunately I was not able to get a hold of the Butte Record, the paper of the county where the lynching took place. You may notice if you read through these accounts that the papers manage to mix up the lynched man's name, the murdered girl's name, the method of murder, the place it occurred, and the ethnicity of Mr. Sharkovich. Just a note, at the time that this lynching occurred, a gang was captured in which a member known as Portuguese Joe escaped. I have not included this article because it does not directly relate to the lynching, but the Portuguese Joe alias most likely comes from a misunderstanding along the wire. Our first paper is the Feather River Bulletin (Quincy, California) dated June 10, 1871. Although the Feather River Bulletin is not the earliest paper, I am putting it first because it claims that it got it's account from the Butte Record.

A Fiendish Murder.
———

It is but seldom indeed that the feeling of an entire community have been so shocked and their indignation aroused as they have been by the recent awful tragedy at Cherokee, in Butte county—a most beautiful, accomplished and amiable young lady, just on the verge of womanhood, all life, joy and innocence,—murdered—stabbed to the very heart by a fiend in human form, while in the company of her friends! The following account of the murder we take from the Butte Record or Saturday last:

"At about 2 o'clock on the morning of the 1st instant, Miss Susan McDanel, step-daughter of the late Thomas McDanel Esq, of Cherokee, was passing from the hall, where there had just been a dance, to the residence of Justice Glass, in company with Miss Maria Glass and Doctor Sawyer. Immediately in front of them were Mrs. Davis and family, and others standing around the hall and in sight. The three had reached within about ten feet of the gate that led to the residence of Justice Glass, when, hearing some one approach, Miss McDanel turned and remarked to Miss Glass, that her father was coming. Miss Glass turned and looked, and told her that it was not. A moment after, a miscreant by the name of George Sharkovich, an Austrian, rapidly approached the three, and seizing Miss McDanel by the hair, drew her head suddenly back, and thrusting the knife down into her neck until it reached her heart, withdrew the relentless weapon and fled. The blow caused Miss McDanel to swerve from her course, and running some ten or twelve feet in the direction the fiend had taken, she fell to the ground a corpse, without a word or sigh. The cry of "murder" from Miss Glass was heard, and that was all. Dr. Sawyer rushed after the villain, but finding he could not overtake, discharged his derringer after him, apparently without effect, and then returned to where Miss McDanel had fallen. Alas! she was beyond medical aid. Her pure spirit had fled! and she, who but a moment before was all innocence, joy and life, was stricken down forever! Was ever murder so foul?

"A few steps carried the flying murderer to the chaparral, and immediate pursuit in the darkness was vain. The excitement spread over town. A meeting was held at the Cherokee Hotel, for organized action, in searching for the fugitive murderer, and a reward of five thousand dollars was offered for his apprehension. The hut for the red-handed murderer began on the early morning. Indians were placed on his trail while others were dispatched to the hills in every direction. men organized into bands, and started out on a systematic search. A courier was dispatched to Oroville early in the morning for Sheriff Miller, and the authorities were soon on the alert."

Every road, trail, stream, bridge and ferry within twenty or thirty miles was vigilantly guarded by faithful sentinels, and the search continued until Sunday nigh last, when the fiend was captured. About 10 o'clock on that night, the murderer, while passing the bridge at Bidwell Bar, was confronted by Justice McBride, who escorted him to the toll-house, where, with the assistance of Mr. Ketchum, he was disarmed of his Henry rifle, the two gentlemen then took him to the house of Mr. J. S. Bendle. Here he was ordered to deliver up his knife, which he did. His revolver was next demanded. While pretending to comply, he suddenly placed the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger, but catching in his shirt, it missed fire. Bendle caught the weapon from him, when he broke away and ran for his life. Bendle fired, hitting him three times—twice in the back, and the last shot through the head, killing him instantly. His body was conveyed to Oroville, and from thence to his cabin at Cherokee Flat, the scene of the murder. A large crowd assembled to receive the body. Upon its arrival they became greatly excited. Sheriff Miller addressed them, advising moderation. A proposition was made to burn the body. All agreeing, the cabin was torn down, a large pile made of it in the open field, the body placed upon it, a can of oil thrown over the whole and the pyre set on fire; and, amid the shouting and rejoicing of the people, the body of George Sharkovich, the murderer, was reduced to ashes!

Although neither Miss McDanel nor her friends had ever permitted or tolerated the advances of the murderer, he seems to have entertained a most absurd and violent passion for her, and had frequently declared that she should marry him or no one. This appears to have been the sole reason from the commission of one of the most atrocious and diabolical murders, under the circumstances, which the annals of crime can show. And if, in the disposition of the miscreant's body, something akin to barbarism was evinced, it is not to be wondered at when one takes into consideration the tremendous excitement caused by the butchery of one who was endeared to the entire community by her purity, beauty, and worth.

There is a painful rumor afloat that Miss Glass, the bosom friend of poor murdered Susie, and one of the most respectable and worthy young ladies of Butte, was so perfectly horrified by the tragical even—sprinkled as she was by the life-blood of her dearest firend—that she has become bereft of reason, or at least that her reason is tottering on its throne. Should this prove to be the fact, it will be an event no less to be deplored than the fate of her who sleeps in her bloody shroud.

Our next paper is The San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) dated June 7, 1871. The Chronicle discusses the background of George Sharkovich before going into detail into the murder and lynching. I have left off the part about the murder and lynching because it is what most papers published.

The Slavonian Assassin.

——————

"Austrian George" the Brutal Murderer of Miss McDaniels

——————

His True Name, Place of Birth and Breeding—In the Murder He Carries OUt the Slavonian Law of Chivalry.

We have taken special pains to discover the true name, birth and breeding of the assassin known as "Austrian George," who so cruelly murdered Miss Susan McDaniels at Cherokee Flat on the 2d inst., and learn the following interesting particulars: The true name of the assassin was George Sharksovich (the literal translation of which means "son of a shark.") He was not an Austrian by birth, as was supposed, but a genuine Slavonian, having been born near Buka de Katarrah, Province of Dalmatia, one of the so called States of the now defunct Servian or Slavonian nation, a nation at present divided into three conquered provinces, governed respectively by Russia, Turkey and Austria. The assassin was a native of the portion under the rule of the latter county, and hence the nickname "Austrian George." He was 35 years of age, unmarried and of a coarse, brutal nature.

IN THE MURDER HE CARRIES OUT THE SLAVONIAN LAW OF CHIVALRY.

Is is a social law among the Slavonians that when a young man falls in love with a girl he may resort to any lawful or unlawful means to obtain her in marriage, whether she is willing or not, now matter what may be the difference between them in social position, education or surroundings. The lover may be a ruffian, robber or bandit, but, having once determined that a certain woman must marry him, he will have her, or, according to a proverb amongst them,

"SHE MUST BE A WIFE OR A CARCASS."

In love affairs of this kind the lover, when refused and jilted, watches a favorable opportunity to steal the unwilling maiden and carry her off to some local fortress, where he defends her with his life. The friends or relatives of the abducted woman follow in the chase, and bloody encounters ensue. If the abductor slays those pursuing him, the woman is his, and his bloody deeds are proclaimed throughout the land as being the very essence of chivalry. He is in fact, lionized, and becomes at once a prominent and petted member of society. If he is slain, it is believed that

HE DIES IN A HOLY CAUSE,

And that his death is worthy of emulation. The capture, abduction and brutal treatment of young Slavonian women, who seek to have a mind of their own in affairs of the heart, has been carried on to such an extent that the Russian, Turkish and Austrian governments have enacted severe penalties for the purpose of putting down the barbarity. In Turkey the abductors are hanged to lamp-posts and suffer other odious treatment.

THE CLASS OF WHOM THE ASSASSIN WAS ONE.

A very large element of the Slavonians are a rough, unlettered, vagrant rabble, given to drunkenness, gambling, licentiousness, robbery and murder. Bands of them, outlaws in every respect, roam through the gorges and fastnesses of montenegro (Black Mountain). in European Turkey, where they live by plunder, robbery, and assassination. Whenever they attempt to live civilized, they usually engage in keeping gambling resorts, whisky shops and houses of ill-repute. The savage murderer of Miss McDaniel would have been a ferocious bandit in his native mountains, but hereafter he will be ignominiously known as the "brutal assassin of Cherokee Flat."

It is in the papers outside of California that we start seeing a definite distortion of information. Our next paper is The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) dated June 16, 1871:

The Cherokee Horror.

———

The Murderer Killed and His Body Burned in the Ruins of His Cabin.

The annexed account of a horrible sequel to a more horrible crime, is a from a dispatch, appearing in the Marysville (California) Appeal of June 6th. While a sympathizing people could feel that no punishment would be too severe for the inhuman monster, they were scarce prepared to counsel the treatment accorded the dead murderer; and yet it must be attributed to the rage and anger of a community that had lost, in so tragic a manner, one of its most loved members:.

OROVILLE, June 5th.

Yesterday afternoon at six o'clock the party engaged in hunting Austrian George arrived in town reporting that he had escaped from Bloomer Hill. All were at fault, and greater vigilance became necessary lest he should cross the river and find a hiding place in town. All the ferries, bridges and small boats were watched and every precaution taken to arrest him, should he attempt crossing. About ten P. M. two men watching heard a man crossing the Bidwell Bar Bridge which spans Feather River, nine miles above here. He was commanded to halt and proved to be the murderer. Surrendering his rifle, he was marched to the house of A. J. Bendle, to be bound. Arriving at the house he gave up his knife, but as they were about binding him he drew a revolver, placed it to his head and pulled the trigger, but the pistol catching in his shirt it missed fire. Mr. Bendle wrenched the weapon from him, when he broke away and ran for his life. Mr. Bendle fired at him with the revolver, hitting him three times; twice in the back, and the last went through his head, killing him instantly. His body was carried to Oroville, and from there to his cabin at Cherokee Flat. At the scene of the murder a large crowd had assembled to receive his body. Upon its arrival they became greatly excited. Sheriff Miller addressed them, advising moderation. The statements of Bendle and McBride, who had arrested him, were then given. A proposition was made to burn the body. All agreeing, the cabin was torn down, a large pile made of it in an open field, upon which his body was placed, standing, upon it. A can of oil was thrown over the whole and the pyre set on fire, and amid the shouting and rejoicing of the excited people it was consumed by flames. Eye-witnesses describe the scene of the burning as frightful in the extreme. Had he been captured alive his punishment would have been death by fire.

—————————————————

The Horrible Murder of a Young Lady in California.

The Marysville (Cal.) Appeal gives the following brief account of the cold-blooded and atrocious murder of Miss Lizzie McDaniels, a young lady, by a rejected lover, who, as the telegrams have reported, was afterward hunted down and shot by the enraged people:

"The deceased, Miss Lizzie McDaniels, was accompanied by a Mr. Wells and a lady. It appears that the murderer, called by some an Italian, by others 'Portuguese Joe,' had been paying his attentions to the young lady for two years past, though she tried to discourage his suit. He had told her he would kill her if she did not consent to marry him, but it seems that she regarded his threats rather lightly.

"From all we can learn regarding this unfortunate affair, this man, 'Portuguese Joe,' as we will call him, came up behind the ladies and their escort, seized Miss MecDaniels by her head, and bending it backward, plunged a knife in her throat and drew it downward, inflicting a horrible wound, laying the throat open the whole length, and even cutting her bosom.

"The attack was so sudden, so unexpected, that her escort, Mr. Wells, was taken completely by surprise, and knew no what was transpiring until the life blood of the victim showed him the horrid nature of the assault. As the murderer released his hold on the victim, Wells shot at, but missed him, and before he could fire again the villain turned a corner and escaped. Such, in brief, is a condensed account of the affair, taken from the many rumors flying about.

"Miss McDaniels was about eighteen years of age, an estimable lady and a general favorite. In one dispatch her name is given as Susie, in another as Lizzie. Her mother is on a visit to New York, and the melancholy news will fall doubly severe on her, who left her daughter in the full vigor of youth. The community has been thrown into a terrible state of excitement by this act, and have united in hunting down the wretch. Parties are scouring the surrounding county, and it seems impossible for him to escape. If taken it is probably that the courts will not be troubled with a trial. Judge Lynch will preside, and a stout rope and a short shrift will be given to the murderer of Miss McDaniels, a young and lovely woman, with all the glories of her life opening before her, stricken down by the hand of one who professed unbounded love for her and would have made her his wife."

The Cincinnati Enquirer is not the only paper to call Miss McDaniel Lizzie instead of Susan or Susie. Much more than names were confused in this lynching. If you believe the information in the New Orleans Republican (New Orleans, Louisiana) dated June 6, 1871 then the associated press had all of their facts wrong:

An American press association dispatch reads thus:

SAN FRANCISCO, JUNE 2.—A terrible tragedy was enacted here at an early hour yesterday morning in Kent county. It appears that a number of ladies and gentlemen were returning from a party to which they had been the night previous, and while walking along the road an Italian knowu[SIC] as "Austrian George" suddenly sprung into the road, and seizing a young girl named Lizzie McDaniel, drew a knife and cut her throat from ear to ear. Her death was instantaneous. She was eighteen years of age. The murderer had been her lover for the last four years and was incited to the commission of the deed by jealousy.

Our next paper is from the Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) dated June 17, 1871:

CALIFORNIA VENGEANCE ON A MURDERER

If the murder of Miss Susan McDaniel, at Cherokee Flat, Cal., by "Austrian George," alias "Portuguese Joe," because she would not marry him, was horrible—it will be remembered he came up behind her as she was going away from a ball with friends at 3 o'clock in the morning, seized her by the head, pulled it back, and plunged a knife in her bosom, ripping it open down to her heart—the vengeance of the excited neighbors was still more shocking. After a day or two's pursuit, he was come up with, and attempting to flee, his pursuers shot him dead. His body was then taken to his cabin, and the crown assembled declared it should be burned; whereupon, they tore the cabin down, made a funeral pyre of it, fastened the body standing in he[sic] center, poured petroleum over the whole, and then set fire to it. And so, with a shouting, rejoicing throng around, the murderer and his home were together reduced to ashes. Eye witnesses describe the scene of the burning as frightful in the extreme. Had he been captured alive his punishment would have been death by fire.

In our next article from The Valley Virginian (Staunton, Virginia) published June 15, 1871 you will see that the details of Miss McDaniel's death have changed and that George's name has changed as well:

A few days ago, a Miss McDaniels, in Cal. while passing along a road, was sprung upon by a concealed fiend, and her throat cut from ear to ear. She had refused the suit of a man known as Australian George, or Portuguese[sic] Joe, and it being satisfactorily established that he committed the deed, he was hauled out of his hiding place in the mountains, near Cherokee, by the infuriated citizens, and shot on Monday last, and his body burned to ashes.

In our final article from The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune (Selingsgrove, Pennsylvania) published June 30, 1871 you will see that the murder and lynching are now supposedly in Colorado:

At Cherokee Flat, Colorado, as a party was returning on foot from a ball, a man known as "Australian George," sprang out of a place of concealment, seized Miss Susie McDaniel, cut her throat, stabbed her to the heart, and then made his escape. The citizens are in pursuit, and will hang the murderer as soon as he is caught.

I wanted to include every single article with errors but thought that might be a bit excessive. A few more errors appeared in The Perry County Democrat (June 7, 1871) which reported that the murder occurred in Hunt County and called the murder victim Lizzie M'Daniels and The Weekly Oregon Statesman (June 7, 1871) thought that Miss Susie McDonald was murdered and reported that she died in the arms of her friend Miss Glass. It was very easy for papers to misunderstand information that came to them over the telegraph wires. If you've ever played a game of telephone as a kid, getting news over telegraph wires typically ended up in the same way. Although this case is perhaps the worst I have ever seen for misinformation. This is why it's important to always check your sources' sources (when possible.) When I originally found information on this lynching I had the name Australian George, which led me to Portuguese Joe, then to Austrian George and finally to George Sharkovich. It's hard to know if this is even a lynching, some accounts claim he was shot by the mob, some by a single person. Either way a mob burned his body and the fact that they chose to stand it up, something almost all papers report, is odd. We leave that for you to decide yourselves. If anyone happens to have the original article from the Butte Record, please share it with us in the comments and we'll gladly edit the post to fit it in. 

Thank you for joining us, and as always, we hope we leave you with something to ponder.

August 13,1871: Unnamed

Hello, everyone. A has found that the Sam Hose lynching has several layers that she wants to display in detail. But, since Sam Hose makes our 1000th person lynched and there are more victims coming to light every time we search for information on the ones we are currently covering, it is important to cover those other victims of lynching. I will be posting on several of the lynchings I have found at least once a week. I tried my hardest to find a name for today's victim but was unsuccessful. I also am unsure if he was lynched on the 13th or the 14th. The articles do not mention if he was lynched the day that the girl went missing, the 12th, and the papers conflict on the method of lynching as well. I have said the 13th but could be off a few days. I do not know if he was guilty or not, most of the articles give the exact same information and it is sorely lacking in detail. With that said, I'll point your attention to our first article which is from the Titusville Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania) and is dated August 21, 1871:

A Negro Lynched—Murder—Rape.

LOUISVILLE, August 19.

The negro who outraged and murdered the little girl near Fulton Station, Herkimer county [sic], a few days since, was taken from jail on the night of his arrest, shot through seven times, and left for dead. The next morning he was found sitting up and was taken to jail and his wounds dressed, but afterwards the citizens took him out and hung him. He had confessed his crime at the examining trial.

Our next paper is from the Hickman Courier (Hickman, Kentucky) dated August 19, 1871:

A Fiendish Act by a Negro.
________
A White Girl Outraged and Killed.
_____

We hear of a most fiendish act which occurred on Saturday last, in that portion of Hickman county, known as the Potato patch. It appears that a young daughter of Esq Thomas Beunet[sic], a well known and much respected citizen of that locality, was outraged and killed by an old negro man in the employ of the family. The young daughter was between 14 and 15 years of age, beautiful in person and dearly beloved not only by her parents and relatives, but by her entire acquaintance. On Saturday, this young daughter went into the orchard, some distance from the house, alone, for the purpose of getting some fruit, whither the negro followed her, and after accomplishing his hellish purpose on her person, strangled her to death, and threw her body into a pond near by. The girl being missed for sometime, search was commenced by her friends and neighbors, the negro who committed the deed joining in the search. Someone remembered to have seen the negro in the orchard about the time she started for the fruit, and suspicion was thus aroused. He acknowledged that he outraged her person and then murdered her, and threw her in the pond. The imprints of his hands were yet upon her face, and other marks of her violation. The officers attempted to take him to jail, but some indignant person present shot him, and it was thought killed him, but it appears the shot was not fatal, as the officers afterwards took him to jail at Clinton. On Saturday night, we hear, the negro died in jail, whether from the shots received or from additional shots, we know not; but, our own judgement is he should have been burnt alive.

Our next article is from The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) published August 18, 1871:

An Atrocious Crime by a Negro Fiend.

LOUISVILLE, August 17—A fiendish murder, accompanied by circumstances of the most horrible atrocity, has come to light in the southern part of the State. Last Saturday a little girl, aged 10 years, daughter of 'Squire Thomas Bennett, living near Fulton Station, the Paducah and Gulf Railroad, at dividing line between Kentucky and Tennessee, was missing from home and anxious search was made for her but in vain. Suspicion at length rested upon a negro who had been working for Mr. Bennett since the war, and he was arrested but escaped, and was shot and recaptured. Becoming frightened he confessed that he had attempted to commit a rape on the child, but finding her too small, first choked her to death and then accomplished his infamous purpose, after which he threw the body in a pond and returned to the house to join in the search for her. At last accounts the incarnate fiend was in custody of the citizens, but is probably lynched by this time.

As you can tell, there is also some doubt as to how the man was lynched as well. Our final article is from The Jackson County Banner (Brownstown, Indiana) published August 31, 1871:

...A negro who outraged and murdered a little girl, near Fulton station, Hickman county, KY., a few days since, was taken from jail on the night of his arrest, shot through seven times, and left for dead. Next morning he was found sitting up, was taken to jail and his wounds dressed, but afterward the citizens took him out and hung him. He had confessed his crime......

Thank you for joining us, and as always, we hope we leave you with something to ponder.

April 23, 1899: Sam Hose, continued

The lynching of Sam Hose caught the attention of many people. There were differing opinions across the country and many papers shared those opinions. 

I'm starting The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) which asked for people's opinions on the lynching. The first article comes from the May 7, 1899 edition:

My Dear Press Leaguers—Our dear editor has many times asked to write and give our opinions on some subject which is at that time occupying or attracting the attention of the general public, and particularly the attention of our bright Press league cousins. Now, dear leaguers, I do not wish to write a long lecturing letter, and stir up a big fight "with pens for swords" among us, but I wish to give my opinion of the lynching of Sam Hose, at Newnan, Ga. I have heard people talk about the horrors of the Inquisition, of the terrors and tortures of the Bastile, and then thank heaven we have no such places or tortures. I have heard people, public speakers and ministers, praise our nineteenth century civilization, but where was our Christianity, where was our civilization, where our justice in the case of Sam Hose? Think of the terrible agony of that unfortunate negro, when, according to newspaper reports, they chained him to a tree, his ears cut from his head, his fingers cut off one by one. Each cut was accompanied by a scream of agony from the wretched prisoner. Think of the terrible agony he suffered when the match was applied and the flames encircled his wretched, bleeding, maimed body body. Think of when he placed his maimed hands against the tree and broke the chain, and how he was kicked back into the flames. Is this civilization? When the mob took Hose if they had hung him to the first tree, instead of torturing him, I would have said they did right. But when it comes to torturing a man, whether he be white or black, as cruelly as Indians ever did the whites, or as the lowest creature on earth, I object. I respect a good, honest, law-abiding colored citizen, but Sam Sam [sic] Hose deserved no such cruel treatment as he received at the hands of the infuriated mob. I do not say that he did not deserve death. Oh, no! But why do it in such a brutal, unchristian manner. This lynching, or murder, as I should call it, has cast a blot of shame on the history of our sister state. But after his death came the most shameful part of it all. Think of the body being cut to pieces, and people fighting for those pieces for souvenirs. One man proudly shows to his acquaintances a piece of heart, which he is keeping as a relic! What a ghastly, grewsome [sic] relic it must be! I say the law should have been allowed to take it socourse [sic]and justice meted out in the proper manner. What should be done to prevent these southern outrages I leave to old and wiser heads than mine, so will say nothing about them, except that they should be stopped. Leaguers, this is a new subject, and not a very pleasant one, but I hope you will all give your views, so that we may learn where the great Press league stands in this question.                                                   Klondike

The next edition with the Press League was published the following Sunday, May 14, 1899:

AROUND THE LEAGUE TABLE.

Siamese Twin—Klondike, in your last letter I saw where you would like to hear the leaguers' opinions in regard to the case of Sam Hose. Well, I think they were a trifle hard on him, although I think he deserved lynching and shot full of holes; but I do not think they should have cut him up in pieces. This is rather a grewsome subject to talk on, and I would sooner talk about the ball game. . .American Star, Ford City—. . . Klondike, my opinion in regard to the lynching of Sam Hose is this:  I do not believe in torturing any negro, but any man who commits a crime like he did should be lynched. Should such a diabolical crime be committed in Pittsburg or Allegheny I, for one, would feel like helping to pull the rope. . .

PRESS LEAGUE MAIL POUCH

Dear Editor and Leaguers—I am quite sure you will all agree with me when I say Klondike Al's opinion of the recent lynching of Sam Hose, at Newman [sic], Ga., was an excellent one and expressed in the most concise and able manner. It was the most outrageous crime ever committed in the history of civilization. It has not only cast a blot of shame on the state of Georgia, but on the United States and the entire civilised world. They would not have been contented to end his  miserable existence as soon as possible. Oh no; they had to torture him in the most cruel and brutal manner before they applied the match to his clothing, after it became saturated with kerosene oil. Just imagine him standing there, chained to a tree, with his ears and fingers cut off and the flames licking his bleeding body. Picture the mob standing about, gloating over their unfortunate and helpless victim. Oh, what terrible agony he must have suffered in those brief moments! His agony was so great that he broke the chains that encircled his body in his death struggles. Words are inadequate to describe such a scene. Do you call that Christianity? Do you call that justice?Do you call that civilization? He undoubtedly deserved death, for he committed an awful crime, but not in that terrible manner. If they had hung him to the nearest tree they would have done an act of humanity. But why should justice not be meted out to the mob who participated in the affair? They deserve punishment, perhaps more so than their victim. Klondike Al, you need have no fear of stirring up a fight, for no right-thinking and law-abiding people could find any justification for such brutalities as were committed at Newman [sic], Ga. Yours in the league.                      Chick. City

Editor and Cousins:—Although I do not feel in the humor for writing, I cannot help answering our Cousin Klondike's letter in regards to the lynching of Sam Hose in Georgia. My dear Klondike, you must not wax so indignant at the so-called outrage. Human (?) [sic] beings like that criminal cannot be called men; they are not even on a par with the yellow cur. Your pictures of the sufferings of that cur is certainly harrowing, but could I, or could anybody, describe the terrible agony of his victim?No, indeed, such sufferings could not be pictured in words. Let us go on a little further and say, what would you do if one of your family should be the victim of such a criminal? Would you lift your eyes to heaven and say, May God forgive him as I do? No, my dear cousin, you would become enraged, your blood would boil with a righteous fury and had you the power you would have inflicted on him the most terrible tortures your mind could invent. But, in the south that feeling extends farther. those who did not know the victim would be filled with the same wrath, and the assailant would be powerless in the hands of these self-appointed judges. Lynch law certainly does make mistakes, but never so often as does the regular law, with its red tape and ofttimes crookedness. Would you speak a word against the torturing of an animal in human form, who, after committing the most horrible atrocities, did on the very eve of his justifiable execution, and with his last breath implicated another of his race, who was entirely innocent and had no knowledge of the crime any more than did the president of the United States? We are taught that when, as we are passing to the Great Beyond, we look for forgiveness for our earthly sins and forgive others as we would hope to be forgiven by the Almighty. Think of that creature Hose, who, when, according to scripture, he would have known that nothing could save him, and that he was doomed to die, adding such a crime to his already horrible list. Could you consider such a creature a man? I have always held that not all men are created equal, and if you could see those southern negroes you would share my belief, and such atrocities as the one of which I speak only tend to uphold my views. Believe me, those crimes are much more numerous in the south than we hear of through the papers. Those we hear of, are only those, the committers of which come to a just end at the hands of an impromptu court.

Jollier.

City.

Dear Friend:—. . . The recent burning of Sam Hose is a rather delicate subject to discuss from any other than a northern point of view. I have a strain of southern blood in my veins and have always looked at the southern lynchings from a southerner's, as well as a northerner's point. Personally, I am warm blooded and it pains me to see anything,no matter how small, needlessly hurt, yet, without wishing to convey the impression that I delight in cruelty, I believe that Sam Hose and many others of his stamp received no more than they deserved. Place yourself in a southern man's position, imagine yourself in the home of the murdered farmer at the time of the crime, imagine yourself married and in constant dread of some similar crime being repeated on you and your family, and then you will be able to understand why the southern people get so wild. Sam Hose committed the crime of a devil (pardon the word) and he deserved a devil's fate. A more fiendish crime it would be hard to imagine. I will not go into details, you are all perfectly familiar with them, but remember that you look at the crimes of lynchers principally from a northerner's point of view. You forget that such crimes are very rare in the north, populated as it is more densely, you forget that every southern man, especially in the thinly populated districts, is in constant fear of some such crime, you forget that the law is too lenient with such fiends as Hose. Remember all this—place yourself in a southerner's position and I believe you will concur with me that Sam Hose got all he deserved. He was not a human, he would disgrace the name of beast. Reason the question out logically and give your honest opinion, writing nothing that you do not fully believe. If you believe that fiends like Hose should be allowed to continue their work unrestricted, say so, give your honest opinion, nothing more. Trusting that you are all in good health and wishing the league renewed prosperity, I am

Yours in the league,

Ruth Spring Garden.

The conversation about the lynching continued in the next edition with the Press League, May 21, 1899:

CHAT WITH CONTRIBUTORS.

Dough Nuts—. . . Klondike, I think Sam Hose deserved all he got and more, too, for such a crime as he did. If they had let the law take its course he might have been hung and he might not,for the jury might have said he was insane and let him go. . .

OUR PRESS LEAGUE MAIL POUCH.

.Dear Leaguers—. . . Leaguers, the discussion of the lynching of Sam Hose is rather a deep one for us. Yet we may all express our opinion, and mine, I fear, will hardly be read, after so many are on the field before me. Yet I can not agree with Ruth Spring Garden or others who favor this wholesale butchery. Sam Hose was deserving of death, but not the tortures that he had to undergo to expiate his crime. We are told by Him who will one day judge all men, that vengeance is His and He will repay. Again we are told to "judge not, lest you be judged." But I think when that day dawns, when we must account for our lives, I would rather be in Sam Hose's place than in the place of those who by the strength of their arms gave back to God the life he gave in such a horrible manner. . .Vale           Allegheny

Dear Editor and Cousins—Our page was very interesting last Sunday. I was glad to see Ruth Spring Garden's name at the end of a letter again. I was afraid he had left us. . . In regard to the Sam Hose debate, I say, put yourself in the injured one's place. Look at the ones you love dearly and think what could you do with the person who would harm them as he did. . .Lauretta                City

My Dear Cousins—I see by the league page before me that several of our best writers have accepted my invitation and in a concise way express their opinion on the subject of lynching. I am glad to read all their letters, whether they agreed with me or not, and now Jollier, a word with you. I was very much pleased to make your acquaintance at the last P. L. S. C. meeting, also you, Ruth Spring Garden, for although we disagree in many things, we can be friends for all that. And say, Ruth, I don't believe my knees trembled one bit when I met you. Now Jollier, when you ask what would I do if it were one of my relatives whom Sam Hose had killed, you ask a question which is easily answered.

I would have shot him down. I would not stop to get a crowd and treat him like a dog. I would shoot him down in his tracks and if they had done so to Sam Hose I would have said they did just right. You say if I "could see those southern negroes." Why, you didn't know I was born in the south; that my own father, who is dead and gone, was a confederate soldier and a slaveholder. This may surprise you, but it is true, and I believe I have as much of that prided southern blood as any one, and yes, I know that for every five lynchings in the south one reaches the newspapers. Now Jollier, you are approaching dangerous ground when you say that you believe all men were not created equal, and that is another subject to debate, I will say nothing about it in my letter. no I do not believe such fiends as Hose should go unrestricted, but if the southern people want to lynch, let them do it in a little civilised manner. Yes, American Star, if they had hung him without any of the terrible tortures they used I would have been glad to have pulled on the rope. . . Klondike.

Dear Aunt Patience and Cousins—I write this especially to answer Ruth Spring Garden's letter about Sam Hose. I do not agree with him at all. He say "the southern people would live in dread of being murdered." There would have been no possibility of that at all, if Sam Hose had been hanged like civilized people would have hanged him, because he then would have been dead. Now if it had been I, you or Ruth Spring Garden or any other white person who had committed that crime, they wouldn't have cut him in pieces like that. Do you think so? I don't They would have given him a fair trial and perhaps then his friends would have tried to make him out to be insane. I think the southerners are quite as bad or worse, in fact, than the Spaniards with their bull fights.They like to lynch a negro on the least provocation and experience, or seem to, a savage joy in cutting him to pieces. I truly believe they want to get revenge on the negro for being free. The Duke of Ulverford     

Rochester, Pa.

Also found in the May 7 edition  was a small bit in a section titled "AFRO-AMERICAN NOTES":

AFRO-AMERICAN NOTES

News and Comment of Special Interest to Colored Readers.

The outspoken opposition of Rev. A. D. Carlile to the passage of a resolution offered before the Pittsburg presbytery last Monday denouncing southern lynchings has been a very fruitful topic of comment among all classes of citizens during the week. What the reverend gentleman is credited with having said at the meeting, and what he has since given publicity to in the interviews and published statements, makes plain the fact that he is in no sense of the word friendly to the colored race in this country, unless they are of the "uncle" and "aunty" variety of before the war. Sam Hose, the negro who was lynched at Palmetto, was, by his own confession, guilty of murder. The assault charge is generally discredited even in Georgia. For the crime of murder, whether in Georgia or in any other state, Hose would have been found guilty by the usual process of the law, and would have expiated his crime on the gallows. One week before his victim, Cranfeld [sic], was killed, it is charged, and no attempt at denial has been made, that Cranfeld [sic] was one of a party of white men which shot to death six colored men cooped up in a warehouse near Palmetto, Ga. It is also conceded that Strickland, the poor old colored preacher, was innocent of any wrong-doing. But his life paid the forfeit to the barbarous frenzy of the mob, and a Christian minister, apprised of all the facts in the case, so far forgets his mission among men as to defend, with great warmth of language, the deeds of the mob. One of the "new negroes" whom he decries is the moderator of the presbytery to which he belongs. Probably this fact had something to do with the indignant vehemence of Rev. Carlile's opposition to the resolutions..

Nowhere in the south does the law move on leaden feet when the accused is a negro, whether he is charged with stealing a loaf of bread or held for a more serious offense. Nor is the benefit of a doubt ever accorded him. The presumption is "guilty as charged" from the start. Nor is there for him any minimum—the extreme penalty of the law. Knowing this, as every southern white man must  of necessity know it, there remains no peg on which to hang justification for lynch law. The sporadic outbreaks of it in the north are but the results of that which is too common at the south. So far the barbarous phrases of it are indigenous to the south, which, unless a halt is soon called, will one day do full penance for the woes it was brought down on its own head. "As ye sow,so shall ye reap.". . .

At a meeting of the Francis Ellen Harper league of Pittsburg and Allegheny, held the past week, Mrs. Rebecca Aldridge presented the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

Whereas, A wife has been made a widow and five children are fatherless by the lynching of Sam Hose and Rev. Strickland, of Newman [sic], Ga., Sunday, April 23; and, whereas, Rev. Dr. Broughton, of the Tabernacle Baptist church, Atlanta, Ga., spoke out without fear or favor at the inhuman outrage. Therefore be it

Resolved, That we, the members of this league denounce the awful and barbarous acts of the mob as exceeding even savages in its cruelty, and we regard it as one of the most diabolical crimes against law and order, peace and prosperity, ever perpetrated in a civilized country, on a human being. Be it further resolved that we extend to Rev. Dr. Broughton a vote of thanks for his manly stand for justice, the law, and the right. . .

The colored citizens of Finleyville held a large and enthusiastic meeting Thursday night to protest against the inhuman lynchings in Georgia.They appointed a committee to draft resolutions suitable to the occasion and they decided to organize a league to petition congress to urge such action as will prevent a repetition of such lawlessness. . .

One of the issues after a lynching were, believe it or not, people claiming to be relatives of the lynched person. An article about such a man was printed in the May 6, 1899 edition of The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania):

NOT A SON OF MOB'S VICTIM

Man Masquerading as John Hose an Impostor.

HE HAS PROBABLY FLED

Church Members Found Out He Was a Fraud and Would Not Let Him Speak.

He Fooled Many.

The man who came to this city yesterday claiming to be the son of Samuel Hose, who was burned to death by a mob at Newman [sic], Ga., a week ago, was discovered last night to be an impostor. John Hose is the name he gave, and he was promptly housed upon his arrival by a member of the congregation of Cherry Street Baptist Church.

It was arranged that he was to speak at the church last evening, but when he was closely questioned as to how he had reached this city, he told so many conflicting stories that suspicion was aroused in the minds of the church officials. He frequently contradicted himself and many of the tales he told his hearers knew to be untrue.

Has Taken to His Heels.

According to his story his escape from Georgia was but little short of the miraculous. Upon reaching Washington, D. C., he said he went to work at his trade of tailoring and earned enough money to get to this city, where he had heard a famous school teacher lived. It was to the school teacher's family that he applied for help, and as he succeeded in taking them in they took him in.

When asked about his mother he said she was in Albany. He wanted to interest friends in her case, he said, and desired enough money to pay his fare to that place so that he might visit her. He evidently became suspicious last night, for he left the house of his would-be benefactors and at a late hour had not returned.

The next day's edition continued about the impostor:

"HOSE" HAS NOT RETURNED

The Fake Son of the Mob's Victim Keeps Out of the Way.

Told a Straight Story, But His Appearance Did Not Bear it Out—Suspicion Soon Aroused.

Further investigation shows that but two persons in this city saw anything of the lad who said he was John Hose, the young colored man who posed as the son of Sam Hose, the negro who was burned at Newnan, Georgia, last week, and came to this city last Thursday from Washington en route for Albany, N. Y. He came to Philadelphia Thursday afternoon and wended his way to a residence on Bainbridge street, above Sixteenth street, the home of a family whose acquaintance he claimed to have formed at Beaufort, South Carolina, some years ago.

He is described as being apparently 20 years of age, height little less than 5 feet, rather dark complexioned, with large flat nose, and altogether a typical Southern negro, with an expression of intelligence. But he gave no evidence whatever of being a man in hard luck or a refugee. He was faultless in his attire. He wore a black suit, black derby hat, white shirt, collar and cuffs.

Told a Good Story.

When he called the husband, whom young Hose claimed as his former teacher in the South, was not at home. He was told by the wife to call at 6 o'clock that evening. Young Hose, however, made known his errand to the wife and her mother.

Said he:  "I have just arrived in the city, and am the son of Sam Hose, the man who was murdered and burned about ten days ago. I arrived in Washington, D. C., Wednesday. I am a tailor by trade, and was, as has already been stated through the papers, assisted through to Philadelphia by the police authorities of Washington, to whom I made known my wish to come to the north in search of my mother, whom I understand has been living in Albany, N. Y., where she managed to arrive in safety after the burning of my father. During my stay in Washington I earned a little money by making pantaloons. I received part of my education in the South, and the attended Lincoln University."

Suspected Him at Once.

Strange to say, said the wife, he could rehearse the names of all the professors of the institution for several years past. He said he attended the Colored Methodist Church at his home.

The husband claimed no knowledge of a family in Beaufort, South Carolina, by the name of Hose. He taught school for a number of years where this young imposter claims to have gone to school. "My impression," said she, "after the interview with hose was that he was an imposter, and I went so far as to intimate the same to him, which may have accounted for his not returning to the house yesterday, as he promised to do.Since Friday morning he has not been seen or heard of."

I am going to end this post here. I have 28 more articles to read through and choose which to post. With so many articles about the lynching, I will be doing a third post for Sam Hose.

As always, I hope we leave you with something to ponder.