“KILLING THEM BY THE WHOLESALE”

A LY N C H I N G R A M P A G E I N S O U T H G E O R G I A

By Christopher c. Myers

-Breana Thomas, Elaina Lovett, Sidney Hutchins, Nick Ragan

-Lynching is the practice whereby a mob usually several dozen or several hundred people take the law into its own hands in order to injure and kill a person accused of some wrong-doing. The alleged offense can range from a serious crime like theft or murder to a mere violation of local customs and sensibilities.

MAY 1918

• Local Towns People followed the story and the saga of Sidney Johnson was coming to an end.

• Exchange of gunfire Dixon Smith and both Dampier brothers were wounded.

A LO N G H I S T O RY I N T H E U . S M O B V I O L E N C E A N D LY N C H I N G ' S

• Thousands of men, women, and children were lynched between 1880 -1930 two sociologists call this the “lynching era.”

• Throughout this era there was no clear definition of lynching's or understanding of what exactly constituted of a lynching's,

MOB VIOLENCE

• Hangings were often accompanied by beatings, shootings, burnings, and sadistic torture.

• Lynch mobs showed racial hatred with impunity, brutality, barbarity, and sadism.

MOB VICTIMS

• Outside the south and border states, 83% of mob victims were white.

• In the south and border states, the overwhelming majority of victims, 85%- were black.

• Brooks county/named after South Carolina, congressman Preston Brooks, established a reputation second to none in Georgia for Race Violence.

1918 LYNCHING'S

• The number of victims-at least thirteen, served to confirm Brooks County's reputation as the most mob-prone region in Georgia

• 1880 and 1930 victims died this single incident which was literally a lynching rampage.

LYNCHING'S IN THE NEW SOUTH

HAMPTON SMITH

• A 31 year old white farmer.• Sidney Johnson’s employer• Had a well deserved reputation as a

harsh boss• He frequently beat and abused his

workers

SIDNEY JOHNSON & HAMPTON SMITH

• Sidney Johnson quickly learned smiths management style

• Johnson experienced poor treatment that included frequent beatings

MAY 13,1918

• Several of Hampton’s workers met in the Turners house on the evening of May 13,1918 to plan Smiths murder.

• Sidney Johnson, the Turners, and at least two other employers Will Thompson and will head were involved in this plan to murder Smith.

• Eugene Rice and Julius Jones, may have been involved

THE DEATH OF MARY TURNER

WILL HEAD

• The first of the mobs victims was Will Head

• Head was captured early Friday morning, May 17 near Barney

• Head provided the mob with details to kill Smith

• He was taken to Troupville, about five miles from Valdosta in neighboring Lowndes county

JULIUS JONES

• Was captured the following Friday of Thompson and Heads death

• He was in Savannah news May 19,1918• Also mentioned in the Thomasville Daily

Times Enterprise may 18,1918• Savannah tribune May 25,1918

1880-1930

• Ten women were lynched

• In the midst of this rampage the bodies of three unidentified black men were taken from the Little River below Barney and were lynched.