January 14, 2020 • 48 mins
State militia escorts the prisoners north from Atlanta as local officials in Forsyth County prepare for a blockbuster trial. Meanwhile, masked men escalate their midnight raids on black communities.
Months covered in this episode: 22 (of 56)
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Months covered in this episode: 22 (of 56)
The Catlick digital scrapbook is NOW LIVE with vintage photos, maps, bonus episodes & more. To subscribe, just go to http://catlick.com, and click on VAULT.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey friends, BT here light beforeWe're going to look at some ugly stuff
in this episode. This one inparticular, contains some scenes of racial violence
as well as some really racist language. Just letting you know, thanks for
listening. We bring you today toForsyth County, Georgia, just thirty miles
(00:21):
north of Atlanta, which in thepast few weeks has gained the reputation of
being a hotbed of racism. Incase you can't tell, that's Oprah talking,
This is audio pulled from her TVshow way back in nineteen eighty seven.
Back then, she wasn't the superstarwe know her as today. In
nineteen eighty seven, she'd only beenon the national airwaves a few months.
(00:42):
This particular episode was the first timeOprah took her show on the road,
traveling from her studio in Chicago tothe country back roads of Forsyth County,
Georgia. Here are just some ofthe images of Forsyth County in past weeks
that were broadcast around the globe.They're showing a bunch of cars and protesters
jamming a road near downtown coming.They're helicopters overhead, Guys wearing clan robes
(01:06):
and tall white Pointy clan hats andtons of Confederate flags. I doubt Oprah's
crew had any idea what they weregetting into. There's no niggers here.
Why should they even come? Youknow, they asked for They got it
so wanted to come back. Youknow. This guy's from forsythe County.
Barrel chested, white guy, Vikingbeard, aviator, sunglasses, camo jacket,
(01:30):
camo hat. Why'd they come back? He asks? It's tough to
make out here, but they're chantingno King Holiday. After this, Oprah
and her crew take the show inside. They're in a big room with about
(01:52):
one hundred residents of forsythe County.Oprah's right in the middle of them all.
She's got her mic in hand anda big eighties here. Somebody tell
me where did the people who can'tcome from who were shouting nigga go home?
They came from weirdly, yes,ma'am, they came from. My
name's Frank Shirley. I'm the headof the committee to keep for scythe in
(02:13):
Dawson County, Whitey. This guy'svery clean cut, white, wearing a
charcoal gray suit, about forty yearsold, big thick caterpillar mustache. When
he it produces himself as the headof the Committee to keep for scythe in
Dawson County White. He's met witha mix of cheers and booze. He
leans back with his hands in hispockets, huge grin. Let him speak,
(02:38):
Please, let him speak. Hehas the right to speak. Okay,
the news media is covered up.There were thousands of white people that
came out to join our white people'sprotests. There's the largest white people's protest
against communism and race mixing in thelast thirty years, and news media is
deliberately covered up the nature of theBrotherhood marchers, many of whom are common
outright communist and homosexuals, and ourorganization was the only one that dared take
(02:58):
a stand against them. They march, Bryant, I'm not just anti black,
you're also anti gay. Two.I'm opposed to communism, race mixing,
and low morals, and homosexuals areof low morals in my opinion,
Communists, race mixers, and homosexuals, He says, a truly wicked trinity
for backwards Southerners in nineteen eighty seven, So what happened in nineteen eighty seven
(03:23):
to cause hordes of angry bigots toflood the streets of Forsyth County. And
why did Oprah of all people travelseven hundred miles south to stick a microphone
in the face of racists? Well, to understand that, you've got to
understand the terrible events that happened hereseventy five years earlier. October of nineteen
(03:43):
twelve. It's month number twenty twoin our story, And I'm really glad
you're here. You're listening to episodethirteen of catlic A white Man's County.
(04:41):
When I last left you, itwas October second, nineteen twelve. Six
young African Americans were being escorted byone hundred and sixty seven Georgia militiamen through
the streets of downtown Atlanta. Theywere in route north to the town of
Coming in Forsyth County. Four ofthe six were charged with attacking two white
him in several weeks earlier. Theother two were being held as witnesses for
(05:03):
the state. After boarding a trainat Downtown's bustling Terminal station, the procession
of prisoners, troops, journalists,and lawyers began their journey north to forsythe
county the trial would start the nextday. The locomotive hissed and sputtered as
it pulled out of the station,beginning its journey thirty miles north. After
(05:26):
a few minutes, the Atlanta skylineshrank behind them. The pavement and glitz
of the city gave way to ruralGeorgia farmland, speeding by at seventy miles
per hour. After several stops alongthe way, the train finally arrived in
the little town of Beauford, Georgia. From here, the Cortege would walk
the remaining thirteen miles to forsythe county. As you'd imagine, marching thirteen miles
(05:49):
with a group of two hundred peoplewas neither quick nor discreet. They traversed
muddy roads, wooded paths, androlling hills. As they marched through one
small town after another, Locals pushedopen their screen doors, came out on
their porches, and gawked. Surely, the six black detainees felt their scorn.
(06:11):
The Georgia guardsmen pulled in a bittighter around the prisoners. By dusk,
the procession reached the outskirts of comingAs the sun dipped behind the trees,
the men set up camp in afield, pitching their tents and lighting
several small fires. Throughout the night, The captives were closely guarded and lookouts
were stationed around the perimeter of theencampment. The threat of a moonlight ambush
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was very real, so they tookno chances. Around midnight, the silence
of the night was punctured the soundof breaking twigs and the silhouettes of men
coming from a nearby stand of trees. Halt a nervous sentry barks. Five
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white faces emerged from the darkness.But these aren't men in overalls. These
are men in suits. They raisetheir hands cautiously, approached the century and
explain their business. They're allowed in. Within minutes, the men are conducting
a private meeting with the prisoners.Now these weren't just ordinary men. These
(07:20):
were some of the local movers andshakers of forsythe county. Amongst them are
two we've already met, Judge KnutMorris, who would be presiding over the
trial, as well as Sheriff WilliamReid. Yes that's the William Reid who'd
abandoned the jail as the lynch mobswere howling for Rob Edwards head and it
(07:43):
was the William Reid who would eventuallyjoin the local KKK chapter many years later.
Now, the specifics of this privatemeeting between these influential white men and
the black prisoners aren't fully known,but we do know there was a special
conversation held with the lone female ofthe group, Jane Daniel. If you
(08:05):
remember, Jane was the wife ofthe late Rob Edwards, the man the
proscythe County mob had lynched weeks earlier. After several minutes of hushed conversation,
the prisoners were dismissed back to theirtents. The white men left the camp
and disappeared back into the night.So what was discussed in this midnight meeting
(08:28):
More on that later. The nextmorning, city officials woke early to prepare
for the day's big trial. Inthe previous weeks, legal teams had been
assembled for both sides. The prosecutingattorneys represented some of the best around,
seasoned, silver tongued litigators, eagerto get in on a blockbuster trial that
(08:50):
would be an easy win. Thedefense was another story. No one wanted
to be one of the poor foolswho had to defend the black perpetrators.
Nevertheless, several local attorneys were conscriptedinto service, and they were truly pathetic.
None of them had experience in abig criminal trial. These were guys
(09:11):
who'd spent their legal careers in theboring work of land deeds and property taxes,
and at twenty one years old,one of them was a total rookie,
in way over his head and utterlyunprepared for a highly charged trial like
this. On the morning of thetrial, another order of business was the
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selection of jurors. A pool ofeighty four people, all white men,
of course, was whittled down toa final twelve. Court records noted that
eleven of the twelve were local farmersand one was a merchant. It's worth
pointing out here than in the nineteentwenties several of the names of these jurors
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would be found on a roster alongsidethe name of Sheriff William Reid. That
roster, of course, denoted memembership in the local chapter of the KKK.
With legal teams and jurors in place, it was time for the prisoners.
Word was sent the prisoner escort brokecamp, and the group began its
(10:15):
final march into the city On thatbrisk October morning, downtown Coming was packed.
One paper reported that it was quotecrowded as never before in its history.
Quote. People poured in from milesaround, hoping to be a part
of whatever drama emerged from the longawaited trial. As the feet of the
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six prisoners shuffled along the paved streetsof Coming, they were met with a
howling swell of hisses, booze,and threats. If the six black captives
had any dreams of a civil reception, they were instantly crushed. Despite the
crowds bluster, no one dared opposethe rolling columns of stern faced troops now
(11:01):
marching through the streets on this particularday. The optics of lethal force had
been shrewdly planned, with each soldiertoating not one, but two weapons Slung
over one shoulder a Springdale carbine riflewith the bayonet mount and on the opposite
hip a pistol. Like before,this was a martial law situation, and
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each of these one hundred and sixtyseven troops was authorized by the governor to
shoot anyone looking to cause trouble.As they made their approach, troops fanned
out across the courthouse grounds. Onecompany of men escorted the prisoners inside.
Another formed a human wall around thestately brick building. Other men lined the
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stairwells and blocked the windows of thecourthouse. The remaining detachments patrolled the surrounding
roads and alleyways. This display ofmilitary might was found clearly designed to strike
fear in the hearts of any wouldbe lynchers. Inside the buzzing courtroom for
(12:11):
scythe county's most prominent men took theirseats. Among them was Coming Mayor Charlie
Harris. It's safe to assume thatHarris and the other well dressed men of
the county were desperately hoping for asmooth and speedy trial. Remember, for
years, these men had been courtingthe state's top railroad officials, hoping to
(12:31):
entice them to extend a line totheir town of Coming. They knew that
if the locals weren't happy with theoutcome of the trial, things could get
ugly, really fast, and thelast thing they needed was a nightmarish lynching
pr fiasco. No railroad magnate inhis right mind would take Coming seriously as
(12:52):
long as gangs of lawless mountaineers werecalling the shots. As the last few
observers shuffled their seats. Judge KnutMorris wrapped his gavel. The whispers and
chitchat faded. Court was in session. Judge Morris began with a lecture about
(13:13):
proper court decorum. He explained thatthe first order of business would be the
trial of Earnest Knox and after thatOscar Daniel. It was assumed that things
would move fairly fast. Worried aboutbias in the courtroom, well you shouldn't,
according to Judge Knut Morris that dayhe offered full assurance that things would
(13:35):
be fair and impartial, and thathe was committed to quote upholding the majesty
of the law ute. With thatassurance in place, it was time to
begin. The first person called tothe stand was Bud Crowe, the father
of the slain eighteen year old whitewoman May Crow. Mister Crowe share a
(14:00):
heartbreaking story about his daughter and herfinal days. Observers wept after that.
Two doctors who treated Macrow took thestand in vivid detail. They described the
brutality, the animalistic cruelty of May'sattack. Within minutes, the prosecution's strategy
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was obvious. Mortify the jurors earlywith heartbreaking and graphic descriptions of Macrow's injuries.
The next person called to the standwas ed Collins, one of the
six black prisoners that had been helddown in Atlanta. He testified that on
the night of the attack, ErnestKnox and Rob Edwards had borrowed a lantern
(14:41):
from him. Prosecution made the casethat after smashing Macro in the head with
the rock, the two men borrowedthe lantern and went back to rape and
unconscious may Crow. Next Marvin Bell, Bell, as it turns out,
was the leading citizen who coaxed ErnestKnox into his car and extracted a confession.
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Of course, when Bell took thestand and told his story, he
failed to mention anything about the mocklynching he'd subjected Ernest Knox too. After
a brief break for lunch, theprosecution called a surprise witness, Miss Jane
Daniel. No one had expected this. The timid black woman took the stand
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and offered a shocking account of whathad happened that night. Here's what she
said. Knox had in fact bludgeonedMacrow and summoned others. She had been
forced to come along for one disturbingreason. To hold the lantern while the
boys took turns raping Macrow. Thecourtroom let out a collective gasp, forcing
(15:48):
Judge Morris to regain order. Itwas at this exact moment one reporter wrote
that Ernest Knox's fate was sealed.Knox might as well accept his quote departure
from coming to Hell quote hyperbole aside. This testimony was very, very bad
(16:08):
for Ernest Knox. Now it's atthis point where we need to revisit that
mysterious midnight meeting between Jane Daniel andthose influential white men from Coming just one
night earlier. Many have speculated thatthey offered some kind of deal to Jane
Daniel, a negotiation, if youwill remember, there was lots of pressure
(16:33):
for this trial to be quick whilealso satisfying the blood lust of the locals.
The prosecution needed some devastating testimony froma star witness, and it's likely
they found that person in Jane Daniel. Remember, four of these black prisoners
were transported up from Atlanta, andthe intention initially was to try all four.
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However, at some point the planchanged. The prosecution zeroed in on
just two of the suspects, ErnestKnox and Oscar Daniel. Those who've studied
this case if theorized that Jane's deallikely went something like this, Listen,
Jane tell the jurors that Ernest andOscar did it, and we'll spare everyone
(17:17):
else, including you. If youdon't, then they'll probably hang all four
of you. Sacrifice too to savetwo. Jane's testimony would be the prosecution's
silver bullet. It would guarantee twocertified, state sanctioned executions while ensuring a
speedy trial that wouldn't linger in thenews for too long. Well, if
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that was in fact their plan,it worked. After Jane Daniel's testimony,
the defense didn't even attempt to crossexamine her, which is a grave injustice
in and of itself personally speaking.The jury was then dismiss Nineteen minutes later,
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they returned at four o eight pm, the verdict was read. Sixteen
year old Ernest Knox was declared guiltyof raping and murdering may Crow. There
was an audible cheer in the courtroom. Many of the onlookers were then dismissed,
eager to get home before dark.However, there was still unfinished business.
(18:29):
The trial of Oscar Daniel, Jane'sbrother. It was, as you
can imagine, only a formality.Jane Daniel again was called to the stand.
She told the same story as before, this time highlighting Oscar's role in
the crime. Oscar was not theprimary perpetrator, but he was certainly an
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accomplice. I can't imagine what Oscarmust have been thinking as his sister spoke.
He must have known her words werea death sentence. Several other witnesses
took the stand, but it didn'treally matter. Everyone knew where this was
going. Around eight pm, thejury began their deliberations and an hour later
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delivered their verdict. Oscar Daniel wasfound guilty as well for his role in
the attack on May Crow. Tiredand ready to go home, Judge Morris
summoned everyone's attention one final time.They all were to return first thing in
the morning for the formal sentencing,and just like that, it was done.
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Ernest Knox and Oscar Daniel were foundguilty in double trials that lasted less
than twelve hours. Everyone filed outof the courtroom and into the dark and
quiet streets of downtown Coming Ernest,Oscar and Jane were escorted to the basement
of the court house, where they'dstay the night, surrounded by armed troops.
Papers reported that violent thunderstorms moved intoForsyth County at night, soaking the
(20:00):
encamped militiamen down to their skin.By nine am. The next morning,
court was back in session. JudgeMorris made a point to heap praise on
the attending soldiers after that the sentencing. It didn't take long his words.
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You will be hanged by the neckuntil you are dead, and may the
Lord have mercy on your souls,he said. October twenty fifth is the
official date of the double hanging.Just an hour after the sentencing, the
two hundred person brigade was back onthe muddy roads of hers scythe county as
they began their long journey back toAtlanta. In his book Blood at the
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Root, Patrick Phillips recounts a reallysad story from that march to Buford.
At one point, Ernest Knox spokeup, which was fairly unusual. He
was known as being a man offew words. Though he was handcuffed to
Oscar Daniel, he asked one ofthe officers if he could be released so
that he could make a run forit. Why would Ernest make such a
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ridiculous request, Well, knowing hewas surrounded by skilled marksman, Knox was
likely hoping they just shoot him ashe ran, thus sparing him the torture
of returning to the gallows of ForsythCounty. The officers laughed off his request
and they all kept marching. Whenthe group arrived back in Atlanta, Ernest
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Oscar and Tony Howell were shown totheir cells in the Fulton Tower. However,
the others, including Jane Daniel,must have been shocked when their handcuffs
were removed and shown not to acell, but to a door. Just
like that, the three bewildered blackresidents of Forsyth County were released into the
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streets of Atlanta, where they likelybegan the search for their now displaced families.
Now, all this went down inearly October nineteen twelve. While the
drama of the trial faded, theterror of the night Riders certainly did not
remember. This wasn't just a Halloweenscare campaign. This was a systematic plot
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to terrorize the black citizens of forsythecounty to the point where they would leave
all of them. By mid October, the night Riders began expediting their efforts
by a simply mailing black residents athreatening letter stipulating the exact date they had
to be gone or else. TheNight Riders also had a plan for the
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black holdouts being sheltered by their wealthywhite employers. Those employers were also sent
threatening letters demanding that their black helpvacate the county asap or their homes would
be torched in the night. Itwas now clear that Forsyth County was no
longer a place for any black residenceor their white sympathizers. Now around this
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time, some of the more dignifiedresidents of Forsyth County decided they'd had enough,
so they hosted a meeting and comingwhere they officially condemned the night Riders
and called on the governor to intervene. Among them was A. J.
Julian, one of the more wellrespected and wealthy planters of Forsyth County.
He wrote a letter to Governor Browndown in Atlanta. Here's what it said.
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There is a gang of night maraudershere. They have run off about
all of the negroes, and theyare bold in their operations. It seems
the sheriffs are cowards and fearful.Last Sunday week, five men went to
a Negro house. When they foundthe men gone, they went up and
ordered the women to leave, onewith a baby in a pouring rain.
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After they left, they shot thedogs, took all their furniture, clothes
in betting, piled it out inthe yard, then set fire and burned
it all. It gets worse.In nineteen fifteen, an investigator interviewed several
Forsyth County residents about what happened backin October nineteen twelve. One of those
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investigators interviewed a white farmer who toldhim this old man Roper, had a
black man he well nigh couldn't livewithout. Knew every stone and stump on
the farm. The boys warned himtime and again to get rid of him,
but Roper would keep him on.So one night they just had to
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put a stick of dynamite under theblack men's house. No, it didn't
kill him, but it started himfor Hall County, right smart, I
reckon they won't be back. Yousee, the young fellers are growing up
sort of with the idea that thisis a white man's county, a white
man's county that was the goal,and they were hell bent on achieving it,
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even if it meant dynamiting the homeof black sharecroppers in the middle of
the night. Now, Governor Brownmostly ignored the police for help from the
concerned citizens of Forsyth County. Inhis response, he stated very plainly that
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this was a matter for local officials. He threw them the meagerest of bones
by offering a paltry fifty dollars rewardfor information leading to the arrest of the
night Riders. By the second orthird week of October, it was all
but official the work of the NightRiders was complete. A newspaper in neighboring
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Lumpkin County confirmed it. A gentlemanof Forsyth County who was here last week
said every Negro who lived in itwas gone. Not a single one is
left to tell the tale. Theten percent of the Forsyth County citizenry that
was black had officially been reduced toby the last week of October, with
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the county completely purged of its blackresidents, preparations were being made for the
executions. At the sentencing Judge Morrishighlighted two preconditions for the double hanging of
Ernest Knox and Oscar Daniel. Numberone, it must take place no further
than one mile from the county courthouse. And number two, the hanging must
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be a private affair witnessed only byguards, clergy, doctors, and relatives
of the victims. With these twoconditions in place, he authorized Sheriff William
Reid to manage all the logistics leadingup to October twenty fifth. Sheriff Reed
was eager to get started. Hisfirst order of business was identifying the ideal
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location for the double hanging. Itdidn't take him long. Less than a
mile from the court house, hefound the perfect spot, a pasture owned
by a local doctor. As Reidsurveyed the site, he eyed the gently
sloping hills surrounding the field on threesides. It would later become evident what
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Sheriff Reed saw that day not apasture, but a venue. Next the
issue of privacy, Reid had aplan. The gallows would be constructed at
the center of the meadow, andaround that he'd built a wall that would
block the gaze of spectators. Withinhours, timber was purchased and woodworkers from
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all around forsythe county were summoned Theirjob was to build a wall fifteen feet
tall in a square formation around thescaffolding. For days, the sounds of
hammers and saws filled the air,but as the men worked, they noticed
the eyes peering, staring and lookingdown at them from the surrounding hills.
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The locals were watching, and theydidn't like what they saw. By October
twenty fourth, everything was ready.Word was sent to Atlanta to transport the
two condemned prisoners north for the secondtime in a month. Ernest Knox and
Oscar Daniel were summoned from their cellsand the Fulton Tower. When they were
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escorted outside, they were met againby the sight of several hundred armed troops
from Georgia's Fifth Regiment. Like before, they'd march through the streets of Atlanta
to Terminal Station, where they wouldboard a train north to Beauford. From
Beauford, they would get off thetrain and walk the final somber thirteen miles
to the town of Coming. Bymidnight, their all day odyssey was nearly
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complete, and about an hour thebeleaguered party of Souls would set up camp
on the outskirts of Coming. Butas they walked to the moonlit gravel roads.
They noticed an eerie orange glow inthe distance in the direction of coming.
As they got closer, the unmistakablesmell of a bonfire grew stronger.
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By one thirty am, the menarrived at the designated camping spot. As
the exhausted troops set up their tents, Sheriff William Reid appeared in their midst
He sought out their leader, MajorI. Catron, and delivered the unfortunate
news. Shortly before their arrival,a mob had snuck into the pasture,
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tore down the fence, doused thetimber and kerosene, and struck a match.
Within minutes, the wall designed toblock voyeuristic eyes from watching the execution,
had gone up in smoke. Bysunrise of the next day, word
of the fence burning had made itsway to Judge Knut Morris. Angry,
he ordered chaffreed to have it rebuiltimmediately. Several hours later, Reid returned
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to him with bad news. Hecouldn't find a man in the county who
would sell him the timber he neededto rebuild the wall. It was October
twenty fifth. The prisoners were there. The militiamen had traveled all this way
Sheriff reed strongly recommended that they proceedas planned. Judge Morris reluctantly agreed.
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By mid morning, everyone in thecounty had heard about what had transpired overnight,
and with the wall gone, thespectacle was on. A steady caravan
of horses, wagons and cars streamedin for miles around. Excited spectators claimed
their spots in the hills surrounding thegallows. From their elevated positions, everyone
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had a perfect view. It wasexactly as Sheriff William Reid had imagined.
As the anticipation grew, one witnesssaid the mood was like a quote circus
parade. Women cradling their babies gatheredin small groups and caught up on local
gossip. Teenage boys jockeyed for thebest seats, and older children played tag.
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Newspapers from all over the state coveredthe events of that day, and
they reported conflicting numbers regarding the sizeof the crowd. The smallest estimate was
about two thousand and the largest wasaround five thousand. Either way, this
was a lot of people down inthe pastor. The men of the fifth
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Regiment were busy stringing barbed wire aroundthe wooden gallows. While certainly not blocking
anyone's view, at least it provideda barrier between the crowds and the two
young men condemned to die. Reporters, local law enforcement, doctors, clergy,
and a small number of troops wereallowed inside the barbed wire enclosure.
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As the executions drew closer, theanticipation grew even more. Emboldened by his
growing audience, Sheriff William Reid's truecolors really began to show. Reports from
that day show that Reid's actions wentfar beyond the judges's orders. He was
staging a great theater where he wasthe director. This was his coliseum,
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and he was the emperor. Weknow all this thanks to the official report
filed by Major Katron. Major Katronwas in charge of the fifth Regiment,
so he was one of the fewobjective witnesses not from Forsyth County who observed
everything that happened that day. Here'swhat he had to say about Sheriff Reed's
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conduct. He was boisterous and wentout where everybody could see him. He
was constantly yelling to the people aroundthe fence outside. The sheriff so conducted
himself that if the sentence of thecourt could have been carried out without him.
I would have placed him under arrestfor inciting to riot. He was
openly in accord with insurrection. He'sboisterous, he's yelling, he's running back
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and forth like a maniac, gettingeveryone pumped up. This guy is the
worst. After an hour or soof this, the time had come from
the edge of the pasture, asmall group of soldiers emerged. Walking behind
them were budd and Azy Crow,the parents of the murdered may Crow.
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In stride behind the two parents weretheir eight remaining children. The crowd grew
silent as the Somber family filed throughan opening in the barbed wire fence.
Directly in front of the scaffolding.A row of tin chairs awaited them.
Next, the prisoners, Ernest Knoxand Oscar Daniel followed Deputy Gay Lummus up
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the stairs and onto the raised woodenplatform. Two nooses hung before them.
This was the moment the citizens ofForsyth County had waited for, but before
the executions, in true Southern style, a moment of prayer. Theo Wills
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slowly ascended the wooden steps and walkedout onto the scaffolding, taking his place
next to the two teenage boys.Wills, the pastor of comings First Baptist
Church, had been asked to prayfor God's blessing over the proceedings. The
crowd fell silent, men removed theirhats, children stood still, women bowed
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their heads, a bizarre moment ofgrace before the gore of blessing, before
the blood of silence, before theslaughter. Like Jesus theo Wills stood before
a hungry crowd of five thousand.But this crowd wasn't hungry for food,
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their prophet said Amen. Once Willsexited the stage, Ernest Knox and Oscar
Daniel took their places atop a squareshaped trapdoor cut into the raised wooden platform.
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One of the most tragic aspects ofthis moment was how utterly alone these
two guys must have felt. Nofamily, no advocates, no one else
with their skin color who could offera glance of shared sadness. There were
no black citizens left in Forsyth Countyin this horrible moment. All they had
was each other. From author PatrickPhillips quote, the last thing Knox and
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Daniel saw before black sacks were placedover their heads was a hillside dotted with
thousands of white faces, young andold, rich and poor, men,
women and children. Squinting into themidday sun, they would have seen the
rooftops of the fine houses on KellyMill Road, the spires of a dozen
little churches poking up through the treetopsand on the edge of town, and
(36:06):
the hazy gray distance the familiar humpbackedsilhouette of Sawny Mountain Ute. Unsurprisingly,
Sheriff William Read designated himself as theexecutioner. He would be the hero of
this moment. As the bells ofa nearby church struck noon, Read raised
(36:27):
a hatchet high into the air,paused, and flung it down on the
rope from the Brunswick News. Asthe trap was sprung by the sheriff,
the crowd cheered, and the cheerslasted several minutes. While the two forms
dangled in mid air. The crowdroared sinister approval for several minutes. Get
(36:50):
noted finally the people of forsythe county, had gotten exactly what they wanted.
Once the cheering faded, doctor ArnoldLindorm climbed a ladder stethoscope in hand.
At twelve eleven pm, Knox andDaniel were declared medically dead. They were
(37:10):
cut down and laid beneath the scaffolding. As the two bodies were loaded into
a single pine box, Sheriff WilliamReid climbed the same ladder and cut down
the nooses Using his knife. Hebegan to dismember each noose, cutting them
into neat one inch segments. Hethen walked outside the barbed wire enclosure and
(37:32):
began distributing the pieces to eager onlookers. Men and boys gathered around, excited
to get their hands on a souvenirphysical proof that they were there. Since
there was no one to clean thebodies of Knox and Daniel, and local
officials feared they might be burned,the decision was made to transport their remains
(37:53):
to Atlanta. Once there, theanonymous bodies were donated to a local medical
college. In the aftermath of thepublic executions in Forsyth County, reactions across
Georgia were fairly mixed. Some paperspraised the people Forsyth for delivering justice.
(38:13):
Others brought the hammer, decrying thebarbaric spectacles staged by Sheriff William Reid.
Governor Joseph Mackie Brown was particularly incensed, publicly calling William Read a quote jellyfish
sheriff for not ensuring the privacy ofthe executions. A couple weeks later,
The Atlantic Constitution published a scathing rebukeof what had happened in Forsyth County.
(38:38):
The op ed writer proposed a newstate law authorizing the governor to fire derelict
local officials from the article. Hadsuch a law existed, the state would
not have been disgraced as it nowappears to have been by the sheriff of
a county actually cooperating with a mobin violating the law, which stipulates that
(38:59):
capital punishment shall be administered in private. In this particular instance, it is
evident that the official was jockeying forlocal political advantage. The finer citizens agreed
that this was a big black eyeon the state of Georgia, and it
certainly wouldn't be its last. Withthe hindsight of history, it's easy now
(39:22):
to see the utter tragedy of thiswhole situation. It's multiple tragedies. Actually,
it's a tragedy that someone beat andmurdered may Crow. It's easy to
overlook this in light of the injusticeof the lynchings. It's a tragedy that
so many black men were terrorized withfalse imprisonment. It's a tragedy that Rob
(39:43):
Edwards was lynched by a mob withoutany due process. It's a tragedy that
the due process afforded to Ernest Knoxand Oscar Daniel was so haphazard and hasty.
It's a tragedy that these two teenagers, likely innocent, died at the
hand ends of such evil people.And perhaps the greatest tragedy was that more
(40:05):
than a thousand black residents of ForsythCounty were violently driven off their land and
from their homes in the fall ofnineteen twelve one thousand, ninety eight to
be exact. While many of thesevictims were poor, penniless sharecroppers, some
were not. Some were successful landownerswho lost so much. Author Patrick Phillips
(40:29):
highlights one such family, the Kelloggs. Joseph and Eliza Kellogg, had tirelessly
worked, saved, and reinvested theirearnings to the point where their small family
farm had grown into a sprawling twohundred acre estate at the base of Sawny
Mountain. At the time of theirracial terror in nineteen twelve, the Kelloggs
(40:49):
were the largest landowners amongst forsythe countieseleven hundred black residents. Like the others,
their land eventually fell into the handsof Forsyth's white land predators. Per
Georgia law, the process to takecontrol of these lands was fairly simple.
All you had to do was fencein the abandoned land in question, wait
(41:12):
a while, register a new landdeed to the county clerk, pay your
taxes, and wailah, it wasyours. In this way, most of
the land owned by black residents wasacre by acre, unethically transferred to white
ownership in the local officials of ForsythCounty never questioned it. It's incredibly unjust
(41:37):
when you think about it. Youdon't believe that people of other races have
the right to live here. Onceagain, this is the Oprah Winfrey Show,
an episode from nineteen eighty seven whereshe's interviewing residents of Forsyth County.
She asks the question, then extendsthe microphone towards a already something white lady,
(42:00):
lots of blush, bright blue jacket, big white earrings, of the
shape of triangles. They have theright to live wherever they want. To,
but we have the right to chooseif we want a white community.
Also, did you catch that shesaid, we have the right to choose
if we want a white community.Also, this is crazy when you think
(42:21):
about it. In America, acountry driven by the free market, how
exactly do you plan to keep yourcommunity all white without violence or threats of
violence. She's essentially saying that ifa black family buys a house there,
they have the right the right torun them off. Oprah handles this with
(42:42):
total grace. Listen, I believeexcuse me. Why is it that there
are people in this county, obviously, who are afraid of black people.
She walks across the room to interviewanother guy. He stands up, tall,
burly, light brown hair, andan enormous, bushy brown beard.
What is it you are afraid blackpeople are going to do well? I
(43:02):
mean, that's what I'd like toknow. I'm I'm afraid of them coming
to for psychany. I lived inAtlanta. I was born in Atlanta,
and in nineteen sixty three the firstblacks were bust to Westfold and Nice Scale.
And I go down there now andI see my neighborhood and my community
which was a nice community and niceneighborhood, and now it's nothing but a
(43:25):
red infested slum area because they don'tcare. They don't care. Thank you.
The crowd collapse. He takes hisseat. Now sent up, what
said you know, you know Hopeh'snot having it? He stands back up.
Do you mean they us the entireblack race, the entire black race
X and you have niggers here wego. All white people in the South
(43:49):
have heard this argument. By theway, what's the difference between a black
person and the nigger? To you, I've talked to black people. Black
people. They don't want to comeup here. They don't want to cause
any trouble. That's a black person, and nigg wants to come up here
in college trouble all the time.That's the difference. That's the difference.
He says. I've got to admitOprah's composure in the face of these bigots
(44:13):
is pretty amazing. Later in theclip, a narrator says that Oprah and
her crew made sure to be outof the county before sundown. And this
all this leaves me wondering, isit possible that the horrifying events of nineteen
twelve spawned these vile comments seventy fiveyears later. Also, if none of
(44:35):
the accused black men of Forsyth Countykilled may Crow, then who did?
And would they kill again? Andfinally, as nineteen twelve turns to nineteen
thirteen, what would happen when someof Forsyth Counties exiled black residents attempted to
move back. We're going to answerthose questions, wrap up this story and
(44:58):
kick off story number three that's nexttime on Catlic. Catolic is recorded in
(45:25):
Atlanta's historic Cabbagetown neighborhood. Executive producerwalnut Ridge Harmon. Original music and sound
design by Doucey l Cover art byRachel Eleanor Catolic store manager Brett Harmon.
Catolic Instagram Follower of the Week,Cody L. Thomas, Catholic Instagram Promoter
(45:51):
of the Week, Paula jay LangeCatolic Hater of the Week Shelley B.
One two nine, who says thepodcast would be way better without BT's quote
politically correct preachiness end quote. ShelleyB. One two nine, Thanks for
(46:12):
listening, and please remember that retellingand talking about stories of injustice from the
past has absolutely nothing to do withpolitics or being politically correct. Catlic Apple
Podcasts reviewer of the week Julia Geese, who says, quote Catlic is a
(46:32):
captivating podcast that any enthusiast of history, true crime, civil rights, and
Atlanta should listen to. It alwaysleaves me on the edge of my seat.
His dedication to telling the truth onthe matter and not romanticizing Atlanta's or
America's past is what people need tohear. Enquote, It's more like it.
(46:53):
Oprah Audio comes from the Oprah WinfreyNetwork and used via fair Use.
Be sure to check out oprah dotcom to hear the full clip. Did
you know there are already or bonusmany episodes waiting for you inside the vault.
It's true. We've got one onthe Atlanta race rite of nineteen oh
(47:16):
six, one on the art Heistof the Century, one on the Mystery
of the Headless Torso, and ourlatest, which dives into the shady history
of Southern night writers. Now theseare all premium episodes just for Catholic Vault
subscribers. Hundreds of other Catholic fanshave already gotten their vault, and I'd
(47:37):
like to invite you to join them. Just go Tocatlic dot com and click
on vault. That's catlic dot com. Vault. One more time, that's
catlic dot com. Just click onthe button that says fault. And finally,
Catolic is independently written and produced himme bt Harmon. Signing off,
(48:02):
I'd like to remind you to saveold buildings, build bike lanes, and
vote for public trains. We'll seeyou in the next episode.
Hey friends, BT here light beforeWe're going to look at some ugly stuff
in this episode. This one inparticular, contains some scenes of racial violence
as well as some really racist language. Just letting you know, thanks for
listening. We bring you today toForsyth County, Georgia, just thirty miles
(00:21):
north of Atlanta, which in thepast few weeks has gained the reputation of
being a hotbed of racism. Incase you can't tell, that's Oprah talking,
This is audio pulled from her TVshow way back in nineteen eighty seven.
Back then, she wasn't the superstarwe know her as today. In
nineteen eighty seven, she'd only beenon the national airwaves a few months.
(00:42):
This particular episode was the first timeOprah took her show on the road,
traveling from her studio in Chicago tothe country back roads of Forsyth County,
Georgia. Here are just some ofthe images of Forsyth County in past weeks
that were broadcast around the globe.They're showing a bunch of cars and protesters
jamming a road near downtown coming.They're helicopters overhead, Guys wearing clan robes
(01:06):
and tall white Pointy clan hats andtons of Confederate flags. I doubt Oprah's
crew had any idea what they weregetting into. There's no niggers here.
Why should they even come? Youknow, they asked for They got it
so wanted to come back. Youknow. This guy's from forsythe County.
Barrel chested, white guy, Vikingbeard, aviator, sunglasses, camo jacket,
(01:30):
camo hat. Why'd they come back? He asks? It's tough to
make out here, but they're chantingno King Holiday. After this, Oprah
and her crew take the show inside. They're in a big room with about
(01:52):
one hundred residents of forsythe County.Oprah's right in the middle of them all.
She's got her mic in hand anda big eighties here. Somebody tell
me where did the people who can'tcome from who were shouting nigga go home?
They came from weirdly, yes,ma'am, they came from. My
name's Frank Shirley. I'm the headof the committee to keep for scythe in
(02:13):
Dawson County, Whitey. This guy'svery clean cut, white, wearing a
charcoal gray suit, about forty yearsold, big thick caterpillar mustache. When
he it produces himself as the headof the Committee to keep for scythe in
Dawson County White. He's met witha mix of cheers and booze. He
leans back with his hands in hispockets, huge grin. Let him speak,
(02:38):
Please, let him speak. Hehas the right to speak. Okay,
the news media is covered up.There were thousands of white people that
came out to join our white people'sprotests. There's the largest white people's protest
against communism and race mixing in thelast thirty years, and news media is
deliberately covered up the nature of theBrotherhood marchers, many of whom are common
outright communist and homosexuals, and ourorganization was the only one that dared take
(02:58):
a stand against them. They march, Bryant, I'm not just anti black,
you're also anti gay. Two.I'm opposed to communism, race mixing,
and low morals, and homosexuals areof low morals in my opinion,
Communists, race mixers, and homosexuals, He says, a truly wicked trinity
for backwards Southerners in nineteen eighty seven, So what happened in nineteen eighty seven
(03:23):
to cause hordes of angry bigots toflood the streets of Forsyth County. And
why did Oprah of all people travelseven hundred miles south to stick a microphone
in the face of racists? Well, to understand that, you've got to
understand the terrible events that happened hereseventy five years earlier. October of nineteen
(03:43):
twelve. It's month number twenty twoin our story, And I'm really glad
you're here. You're listening to episodethirteen of catlic A white Man's County.
(04:41):
When I last left you, itwas October second, nineteen twelve. Six
young African Americans were being escorted byone hundred and sixty seven Georgia militiamen through
the streets of downtown Atlanta. Theywere in route north to the town of
Coming in Forsyth County. Four ofthe six were charged with attacking two white
him in several weeks earlier. Theother two were being held as witnesses for
(05:03):
the state. After boarding a trainat Downtown's bustling Terminal station, the procession
of prisoners, troops, journalists,and lawyers began their journey north to forsythe
county the trial would start the nextday. The locomotive hissed and sputtered as
it pulled out of the station,beginning its journey thirty miles north. After
(05:26):
a few minutes, the Atlanta skylineshrank behind them. The pavement and glitz
of the city gave way to ruralGeorgia farmland, speeding by at seventy miles
per hour. After several stops alongthe way, the train finally arrived in
the little town of Beauford, Georgia. From here, the Cortege would walk
the remaining thirteen miles to forsythe county. As you'd imagine, marching thirteen miles
(05:49):
with a group of two hundred peoplewas neither quick nor discreet. They traversed
muddy roads, wooded paths, androlling hills. As they marched through one
small town after another, Locals pushedopen their screen doors, came out on
their porches, and gawked. Surely, the six black detainees felt their scorn.
(06:11):
The Georgia guardsmen pulled in a bittighter around the prisoners. By dusk,
the procession reached the outskirts of comingAs the sun dipped behind the trees,
the men set up camp in afield, pitching their tents and lighting
several small fires. Throughout the night, The captives were closely guarded and lookouts
were stationed around the perimeter of theencampment. The threat of a moonlight ambush
(06:36):
was very real, so they tookno chances. Around midnight, the silence
of the night was punctured the soundof breaking twigs and the silhouettes of men
coming from a nearby stand of trees. Halt a nervous sentry barks. Five
(06:57):
white faces emerged from the darkness.But these aren't men in overalls. These
are men in suits. They raisetheir hands cautiously, approached the century and
explain their business. They're allowed in. Within minutes, the men are conducting
a private meeting with the prisoners.Now these weren't just ordinary men. These
(07:20):
were some of the local movers andshakers of forsythe county. Amongst them are
two we've already met, Judge KnutMorris, who would be presiding over the
trial, as well as Sheriff WilliamReid. Yes that's the William Reid who'd
abandoned the jail as the lynch mobswere howling for Rob Edwards head and it
(07:43):
was the William Reid who would eventuallyjoin the local KKK chapter many years later.
Now, the specifics of this privatemeeting between these influential white men and
the black prisoners aren't fully known,but we do know there was a special
conversation held with the lone female ofthe group, Jane Daniel. If you
(08:05):
remember, Jane was the wife ofthe late Rob Edwards, the man the
proscythe County mob had lynched weeks earlier. After several minutes of hushed conversation,
the prisoners were dismissed back to theirtents. The white men left the camp
and disappeared back into the night.So what was discussed in this midnight meeting
(08:28):
More on that later. The nextmorning, city officials woke early to prepare
for the day's big trial. Inthe previous weeks, legal teams had been
assembled for both sides. The prosecutingattorneys represented some of the best around,
seasoned, silver tongued litigators, eagerto get in on a blockbuster trial that
(08:50):
would be an easy win. Thedefense was another story. No one wanted
to be one of the poor foolswho had to defend the black perpetrators.
Nevertheless, several local attorneys were conscriptedinto service, and they were truly pathetic.
None of them had experience in abig criminal trial. These were guys
(09:11):
who'd spent their legal careers in theboring work of land deeds and property taxes,
and at twenty one years old,one of them was a total rookie,
in way over his head and utterlyunprepared for a highly charged trial like
this. On the morning of thetrial, another order of business was the
(09:31):
selection of jurors. A pool ofeighty four people, all white men,
of course, was whittled down toa final twelve. Court records noted that
eleven of the twelve were local farmersand one was a merchant. It's worth
pointing out here than in the nineteentwenties several of the names of these jurors
(09:52):
would be found on a roster alongsidethe name of Sheriff William Reid. That
roster, of course, denoted memembership in the local chapter of the KKK.
With legal teams and jurors in place, it was time for the prisoners.
Word was sent the prisoner escort brokecamp, and the group began its
(10:15):
final march into the city On thatbrisk October morning, downtown Coming was packed.
One paper reported that it was quotecrowded as never before in its history.
Quote. People poured in from milesaround, hoping to be a part
of whatever drama emerged from the longawaited trial. As the feet of the
(10:37):
six prisoners shuffled along the paved streetsof Coming, they were met with a
howling swell of hisses, booze,and threats. If the six black captives
had any dreams of a civil reception, they were instantly crushed. Despite the
crowds bluster, no one dared opposethe rolling columns of stern faced troops now
(11:01):
marching through the streets on this particularday. The optics of lethal force had
been shrewdly planned, with each soldiertoating not one, but two weapons Slung
over one shoulder a Springdale carbine riflewith the bayonet mount and on the opposite
hip a pistol. Like before,this was a martial law situation, and
(11:26):
each of these one hundred and sixtyseven troops was authorized by the governor to
shoot anyone looking to cause trouble.As they made their approach, troops fanned
out across the courthouse grounds. Onecompany of men escorted the prisoners inside.
Another formed a human wall around thestately brick building. Other men lined the
(11:48):
stairwells and blocked the windows of thecourthouse. The remaining detachments patrolled the surrounding
roads and alleyways. This display ofmilitary might was found clearly designed to strike
fear in the hearts of any wouldbe lynchers. Inside the buzzing courtroom for
(12:11):
scythe county's most prominent men took theirseats. Among them was Coming Mayor Charlie
Harris. It's safe to assume thatHarris and the other well dressed men of
the county were desperately hoping for asmooth and speedy trial. Remember, for
years, these men had been courtingthe state's top railroad officials, hoping to
(12:31):
entice them to extend a line totheir town of Coming. They knew that
if the locals weren't happy with theoutcome of the trial, things could get
ugly, really fast, and thelast thing they needed was a nightmarish lynching
pr fiasco. No railroad magnate inhis right mind would take Coming seriously as
(12:52):
long as gangs of lawless mountaineers werecalling the shots. As the last few
observers shuffled their seats. Judge KnutMorris wrapped his gavel. The whispers and
chitchat faded. Court was in session. Judge Morris began with a lecture about
(13:13):
proper court decorum. He explained thatthe first order of business would be the
trial of Earnest Knox and after thatOscar Daniel. It was assumed that things
would move fairly fast. Worried aboutbias in the courtroom, well you shouldn't,
according to Judge Knut Morris that dayhe offered full assurance that things would
(13:35):
be fair and impartial, and thathe was committed to quote upholding the majesty
of the law ute. With thatassurance in place, it was time to
begin. The first person called tothe stand was Bud Crowe, the father
of the slain eighteen year old whitewoman May Crow. Mister Crowe share a
(14:00):
heartbreaking story about his daughter and herfinal days. Observers wept after that.
Two doctors who treated Macrow took thestand in vivid detail. They described the
brutality, the animalistic cruelty of May'sattack. Within minutes, the prosecution's strategy
(14:20):
was obvious. Mortify the jurors earlywith heartbreaking and graphic descriptions of Macrow's injuries.
The next person called to the standwas ed Collins, one of the
six black prisoners that had been helddown in Atlanta. He testified that on
the night of the attack, ErnestKnox and Rob Edwards had borrowed a lantern
(14:41):
from him. Prosecution made the casethat after smashing Macro in the head with
the rock, the two men borrowedthe lantern and went back to rape and
unconscious may Crow. Next Marvin Bell, Bell, as it turns out,
was the leading citizen who coaxed ErnestKnox into his car and extracted a confession.
(15:05):
Of course, when Bell took thestand and told his story, he
failed to mention anything about the mocklynching he'd subjected Ernest Knox too. After
a brief break for lunch, theprosecution called a surprise witness, Miss Jane
Daniel. No one had expected this. The timid black woman took the stand
(15:26):
and offered a shocking account of whathad happened that night. Here's what she
said. Knox had in fact bludgeonedMacrow and summoned others. She had been
forced to come along for one disturbingreason. To hold the lantern while the
boys took turns raping Macrow. Thecourtroom let out a collective gasp, forcing
(15:48):
Judge Morris to regain order. Itwas at this exact moment one reporter wrote
that Ernest Knox's fate was sealed.Knox might as well accept his quote departure
from coming to Hell quote hyperbole aside. This testimony was very, very bad
(16:08):
for Ernest Knox. Now it's atthis point where we need to revisit that
mysterious midnight meeting between Jane Daniel andthose influential white men from Coming just one
night earlier. Many have speculated thatthey offered some kind of deal to Jane
Daniel, a negotiation, if youwill remember, there was lots of pressure
(16:33):
for this trial to be quick whilealso satisfying the blood lust of the locals.
The prosecution needed some devastating testimony froma star witness, and it's likely
they found that person in Jane Daniel. Remember, four of these black prisoners
were transported up from Atlanta, andthe intention initially was to try all four.
(16:53):
However, at some point the planchanged. The prosecution zeroed in on
just two of the suspects, ErnestKnox and Oscar Daniel. Those who've studied
this case if theorized that Jane's deallikely went something like this, Listen,
Jane tell the jurors that Ernest andOscar did it, and we'll spare everyone
(17:17):
else, including you. If youdon't, then they'll probably hang all four
of you. Sacrifice too to savetwo. Jane's testimony would be the prosecution's
silver bullet. It would guarantee twocertified, state sanctioned executions while ensuring a
speedy trial that wouldn't linger in thenews for too long. Well, if
(17:42):
that was in fact their plan,it worked. After Jane Daniel's testimony,
the defense didn't even attempt to crossexamine her, which is a grave injustice
in and of itself personally speaking.The jury was then dismiss Nineteen minutes later,
(18:03):
they returned at four o eight pm, the verdict was read. Sixteen
year old Ernest Knox was declared guiltyof raping and murdering may Crow. There
was an audible cheer in the courtroom. Many of the onlookers were then dismissed,
eager to get home before dark.However, there was still unfinished business.
(18:29):
The trial of Oscar Daniel, Jane'sbrother. It was, as you
can imagine, only a formality.Jane Daniel again was called to the stand.
She told the same story as before, this time highlighting Oscar's role in
the crime. Oscar was not theprimary perpetrator, but he was certainly an
(18:51):
accomplice. I can't imagine what Oscarmust have been thinking as his sister spoke.
He must have known her words werea death sentence. Several other witnesses
took the stand, but it didn'treally matter. Everyone knew where this was
going. Around eight pm, thejury began their deliberations and an hour later
(19:11):
delivered their verdict. Oscar Daniel wasfound guilty as well for his role in
the attack on May Crow. Tiredand ready to go home, Judge Morris
summoned everyone's attention one final time.They all were to return first thing in
the morning for the formal sentencing,and just like that, it was done.
(19:36):
Ernest Knox and Oscar Daniel were foundguilty in double trials that lasted less
than twelve hours. Everyone filed outof the courtroom and into the dark and
quiet streets of downtown Coming Ernest,Oscar and Jane were escorted to the basement
of the court house, where they'dstay the night, surrounded by armed troops.
Papers reported that violent thunderstorms moved intoForsyth County at night, soaking the
(20:00):
encamped militiamen down to their skin.By nine am. The next morning,
court was back in session. JudgeMorris made a point to heap praise on
the attending soldiers after that the sentencing. It didn't take long his words.
(20:25):
You will be hanged by the neckuntil you are dead, and may the
Lord have mercy on your souls,he said. October twenty fifth is the
official date of the double hanging.Just an hour after the sentencing, the
two hundred person brigade was back onthe muddy roads of hers scythe county as
they began their long journey back toAtlanta. In his book Blood at the
(20:49):
Root, Patrick Phillips recounts a reallysad story from that march to Buford.
At one point, Ernest Knox spokeup, which was fairly unusual. He
was known as being a man offew words. Though he was handcuffed to
Oscar Daniel, he asked one ofthe officers if he could be released so
that he could make a run forit. Why would Ernest make such a
(21:11):
ridiculous request, Well, knowing hewas surrounded by skilled marksman, Knox was
likely hoping they just shoot him ashe ran, thus sparing him the torture
of returning to the gallows of ForsythCounty. The officers laughed off his request
and they all kept marching. Whenthe group arrived back in Atlanta, Ernest
(21:36):
Oscar and Tony Howell were shown totheir cells in the Fulton Tower. However,
the others, including Jane Daniel,must have been shocked when their handcuffs
were removed and shown not to acell, but to a door. Just
like that, the three bewildered blackresidents of Forsyth County were released into the
(21:56):
streets of Atlanta, where they likelybegan the search for their now displaced families.
Now, all this went down inearly October nineteen twelve. While the
drama of the trial faded, theterror of the night Riders certainly did not
remember. This wasn't just a Halloweenscare campaign. This was a systematic plot
(22:21):
to terrorize the black citizens of forsythecounty to the point where they would leave
all of them. By mid October, the night Riders began expediting their efforts
by a simply mailing black residents athreatening letter stipulating the exact date they had
to be gone or else. TheNight Riders also had a plan for the
(22:41):
black holdouts being sheltered by their wealthywhite employers. Those employers were also sent
threatening letters demanding that their black helpvacate the county asap or their homes would
be torched in the night. Itwas now clear that Forsyth County was no
longer a place for any black residenceor their white sympathizers. Now around this
(23:07):
time, some of the more dignifiedresidents of Forsyth County decided they'd had enough,
so they hosted a meeting and comingwhere they officially condemned the night Riders
and called on the governor to intervene. Among them was A. J.
Julian, one of the more wellrespected and wealthy planters of Forsyth County.
He wrote a letter to Governor Browndown in Atlanta. Here's what it said.
(23:32):
There is a gang of night maraudershere. They have run off about
all of the negroes, and theyare bold in their operations. It seems
the sheriffs are cowards and fearful.Last Sunday week, five men went to
a Negro house. When they foundthe men gone, they went up and
ordered the women to leave, onewith a baby in a pouring rain.
(23:52):
After they left, they shot thedogs, took all their furniture, clothes
in betting, piled it out inthe yard, then set fire and burned
it all. It gets worse.In nineteen fifteen, an investigator interviewed several
Forsyth County residents about what happened backin October nineteen twelve. One of those
(24:12):
investigators interviewed a white farmer who toldhim this old man Roper, had a
black man he well nigh couldn't livewithout. Knew every stone and stump on
the farm. The boys warned himtime and again to get rid of him,
but Roper would keep him on.So one night they just had to
(24:33):
put a stick of dynamite under theblack men's house. No, it didn't
kill him, but it started himfor Hall County, right smart, I
reckon they won't be back. Yousee, the young fellers are growing up
sort of with the idea that thisis a white man's county, a white
man's county that was the goal,and they were hell bent on achieving it,
(24:57):
even if it meant dynamiting the homeof black sharecroppers in the middle of
the night. Now, Governor Brownmostly ignored the police for help from the
concerned citizens of Forsyth County. Inhis response, he stated very plainly that
(25:18):
this was a matter for local officials. He threw them the meagerest of bones
by offering a paltry fifty dollars rewardfor information leading to the arrest of the
night Riders. By the second orthird week of October, it was all
but official the work of the NightRiders was complete. A newspaper in neighboring
(25:40):
Lumpkin County confirmed it. A gentlemanof Forsyth County who was here last week
said every Negro who lived in itwas gone. Not a single one is
left to tell the tale. Theten percent of the Forsyth County citizenry that
was black had officially been reduced toby the last week of October, with
(26:07):
the county completely purged of its blackresidents, preparations were being made for the
executions. At the sentencing Judge Morrishighlighted two preconditions for the double hanging of
Ernest Knox and Oscar Daniel. Numberone, it must take place no further
than one mile from the county courthouse. And number two, the hanging must
(26:30):
be a private affair witnessed only byguards, clergy, doctors, and relatives
of the victims. With these twoconditions in place, he authorized Sheriff William
Reid to manage all the logistics leadingup to October twenty fifth. Sheriff Reed
was eager to get started. Hisfirst order of business was identifying the ideal
(26:53):
location for the double hanging. Itdidn't take him long. Less than a
mile from the court house, hefound the perfect spot, a pasture owned
by a local doctor. As Reidsurveyed the site, he eyed the gently
sloping hills surrounding the field on threesides. It would later become evident what
(27:14):
Sheriff Reed saw that day not apasture, but a venue. Next the
issue of privacy, Reid had aplan. The gallows would be constructed at
the center of the meadow, andaround that he'd built a wall that would
block the gaze of spectators. Withinhours, timber was purchased and woodworkers from
(27:37):
all around forsythe county were summoned Theirjob was to build a wall fifteen feet
tall in a square formation around thescaffolding. For days, the sounds of
hammers and saws filled the air,but as the men worked, they noticed
the eyes peering, staring and lookingdown at them from the surrounding hills.
(28:02):
The locals were watching, and theydidn't like what they saw. By October
twenty fourth, everything was ready.Word was sent to Atlanta to transport the
two condemned prisoners north for the secondtime in a month. Ernest Knox and
Oscar Daniel were summoned from their cellsand the Fulton Tower. When they were
(28:25):
escorted outside, they were met againby the sight of several hundred armed troops
from Georgia's Fifth Regiment. Like before, they'd march through the streets of Atlanta
to Terminal Station, where they wouldboard a train north to Beauford. From
Beauford, they would get off thetrain and walk the final somber thirteen miles
to the town of Coming. Bymidnight, their all day odyssey was nearly
(28:51):
complete, and about an hour thebeleaguered party of Souls would set up camp
on the outskirts of Coming. Butas they walked to the moonlit gravel roads.
They noticed an eerie orange glow inthe distance in the direction of coming.
As they got closer, the unmistakablesmell of a bonfire grew stronger.
(29:12):
By one thirty am, the menarrived at the designated camping spot. As
the exhausted troops set up their tents, Sheriff William Reid appeared in their midst
He sought out their leader, MajorI. Catron, and delivered the unfortunate
news. Shortly before their arrival,a mob had snuck into the pasture,
(29:33):
tore down the fence, doused thetimber and kerosene, and struck a match.
Within minutes, the wall designed toblock voyeuristic eyes from watching the execution,
had gone up in smoke. Bysunrise of the next day, word
of the fence burning had made itsway to Judge Knut Morris. Angry,
he ordered chaffreed to have it rebuiltimmediately. Several hours later, Reid returned
(30:00):
to him with bad news. Hecouldn't find a man in the county who
would sell him the timber he neededto rebuild the wall. It was October
twenty fifth. The prisoners were there. The militiamen had traveled all this way
Sheriff reed strongly recommended that they proceedas planned. Judge Morris reluctantly agreed.
(30:27):
By mid morning, everyone in thecounty had heard about what had transpired overnight,
and with the wall gone, thespectacle was on. A steady caravan
of horses, wagons and cars streamedin for miles around. Excited spectators claimed
their spots in the hills surrounding thegallows. From their elevated positions, everyone
(30:49):
had a perfect view. It wasexactly as Sheriff William Reid had imagined.
As the anticipation grew, one witnesssaid the mood was like a quote circus
parade. Women cradling their babies gatheredin small groups and caught up on local
gossip. Teenage boys jockeyed for thebest seats, and older children played tag.
(31:12):
Newspapers from all over the state coveredthe events of that day, and
they reported conflicting numbers regarding the sizeof the crowd. The smallest estimate was
about two thousand and the largest wasaround five thousand. Either way, this
was a lot of people down inthe pastor. The men of the fifth
(31:33):
Regiment were busy stringing barbed wire aroundthe wooden gallows. While certainly not blocking
anyone's view, at least it provideda barrier between the crowds and the two
young men condemned to die. Reporters, local law enforcement, doctors, clergy,
and a small number of troops wereallowed inside the barbed wire enclosure.
(31:55):
As the executions drew closer, theanticipation grew even more. Emboldened by his
growing audience, Sheriff William Reid's truecolors really began to show. Reports from
that day show that Reid's actions wentfar beyond the judges's orders. He was
staging a great theater where he wasthe director. This was his coliseum,
(32:17):
and he was the emperor. Weknow all this thanks to the official report
filed by Major Katron. Major Katronwas in charge of the fifth Regiment,
so he was one of the fewobjective witnesses not from Forsyth County who observed
everything that happened that day. Here'swhat he had to say about Sheriff Reed's
(32:38):
conduct. He was boisterous and wentout where everybody could see him. He
was constantly yelling to the people aroundthe fence outside. The sheriff so conducted
himself that if the sentence of thecourt could have been carried out without him.
I would have placed him under arrestfor inciting to riot. He was
openly in accord with insurrection. He'sboisterous, he's yelling, he's running back
(33:02):
and forth like a maniac, gettingeveryone pumped up. This guy is the
worst. After an hour or soof this, the time had come from
the edge of the pasture, asmall group of soldiers emerged. Walking behind
them were budd and Azy Crow,the parents of the murdered may Crow.
(33:24):
In stride behind the two parents weretheir eight remaining children. The crowd grew
silent as the Somber family filed throughan opening in the barbed wire fence.
Directly in front of the scaffolding.A row of tin chairs awaited them.
Next, the prisoners, Ernest Knoxand Oscar Daniel followed Deputy Gay Lummus up
(33:46):
the stairs and onto the raised woodenplatform. Two nooses hung before them.
This was the moment the citizens ofForsyth County had waited for, but before
the executions, in true Southern style, a moment of prayer. Theo Wills
(34:08):
slowly ascended the wooden steps and walkedout onto the scaffolding, taking his place
next to the two teenage boys.Wills, the pastor of comings First Baptist
Church, had been asked to prayfor God's blessing over the proceedings. The
crowd fell silent, men removed theirhats, children stood still, women bowed
(34:31):
their heads, a bizarre moment ofgrace before the gore of blessing, before
the blood of silence, before theslaughter. Like Jesus theo Wills stood before
a hungry crowd of five thousand.But this crowd wasn't hungry for food,
(34:52):
their prophet said Amen. Once Willsexited the stage, Ernest Knox and Oscar
Daniel took their places atop a squareshaped trapdoor cut into the raised wooden platform.
(35:13):
One of the most tragic aspects ofthis moment was how utterly alone these
two guys must have felt. Nofamily, no advocates, no one else
with their skin color who could offera glance of shared sadness. There were
no black citizens left in Forsyth Countyin this horrible moment. All they had
was each other. From author PatrickPhillips quote, the last thing Knox and
(35:42):
Daniel saw before black sacks were placedover their heads was a hillside dotted with
thousands of white faces, young andold, rich and poor, men,
women and children. Squinting into themidday sun, they would have seen the
rooftops of the fine houses on KellyMill Road, the spires of a dozen
little churches poking up through the treetopsand on the edge of town, and
(36:06):
the hazy gray distance the familiar humpbackedsilhouette of Sawny Mountain Ute. Unsurprisingly,
Sheriff William Read designated himself as theexecutioner. He would be the hero of
this moment. As the bells ofa nearby church struck noon, Read raised
(36:27):
a hatchet high into the air,paused, and flung it down on the
rope from the Brunswick News. Asthe trap was sprung by the sheriff,
the crowd cheered, and the cheerslasted several minutes. While the two forms
dangled in mid air. The crowdroared sinister approval for several minutes. Get
(36:50):
noted finally the people of forsythe county, had gotten exactly what they wanted.
Once the cheering faded, doctor ArnoldLindorm climbed a ladder stethoscope in hand.
At twelve eleven pm, Knox andDaniel were declared medically dead. They were
(37:10):
cut down and laid beneath the scaffolding. As the two bodies were loaded into
a single pine box, Sheriff WilliamReid climbed the same ladder and cut down
the nooses Using his knife. Hebegan to dismember each noose, cutting them
into neat one inch segments. Hethen walked outside the barbed wire enclosure and
(37:32):
began distributing the pieces to eager onlookers. Men and boys gathered around, excited
to get their hands on a souvenirphysical proof that they were there. Since
there was no one to clean thebodies of Knox and Daniel, and local
officials feared they might be burned,the decision was made to transport their remains
(37:53):
to Atlanta. Once there, theanonymous bodies were donated to a local medical
college. In the aftermath of thepublic executions in Forsyth County, reactions across
Georgia were fairly mixed. Some paperspraised the people Forsyth for delivering justice.
(38:13):
Others brought the hammer, decrying thebarbaric spectacles staged by Sheriff William Reid.
Governor Joseph Mackie Brown was particularly incensed, publicly calling William Read a quote jellyfish
sheriff for not ensuring the privacy ofthe executions. A couple weeks later,
The Atlantic Constitution published a scathing rebukeof what had happened in Forsyth County.
(38:38):
The op ed writer proposed a newstate law authorizing the governor to fire derelict
local officials from the article. Hadsuch a law existed, the state would
not have been disgraced as it nowappears to have been by the sheriff of
a county actually cooperating with a mobin violating the law, which stipulates that
(38:59):
capital punishment shall be administered in private. In this particular instance, it is
evident that the official was jockeying forlocal political advantage. The finer citizens agreed
that this was a big black eyeon the state of Georgia, and it
certainly wouldn't be its last. Withthe hindsight of history, it's easy now
(39:22):
to see the utter tragedy of thiswhole situation. It's multiple tragedies. Actually,
it's a tragedy that someone beat andmurdered may Crow. It's easy to
overlook this in light of the injusticeof the lynchings. It's a tragedy that
so many black men were terrorized withfalse imprisonment. It's a tragedy that Rob
(39:43):
Edwards was lynched by a mob withoutany due process. It's a tragedy that
the due process afforded to Ernest Knoxand Oscar Daniel was so haphazard and hasty.
It's a tragedy that these two teenagers, likely innocent, died at the
hand ends of such evil people.And perhaps the greatest tragedy was that more
(40:05):
than a thousand black residents of ForsythCounty were violently driven off their land and
from their homes in the fall ofnineteen twelve one thousand, ninety eight to
be exact. While many of thesevictims were poor, penniless sharecroppers, some
were not. Some were successful landownerswho lost so much. Author Patrick Phillips
(40:29):
highlights one such family, the Kelloggs. Joseph and Eliza Kellogg, had tirelessly
worked, saved, and reinvested theirearnings to the point where their small family
farm had grown into a sprawling twohundred acre estate at the base of Sawny
Mountain. At the time of theirracial terror in nineteen twelve, the Kelloggs
(40:49):
were the largest landowners amongst forsythe countieseleven hundred black residents. Like the others,
their land eventually fell into the handsof Forsyth's white land predators. Per
Georgia law, the process to takecontrol of these lands was fairly simple.
All you had to do was fencein the abandoned land in question, wait
(41:12):
a while, register a new landdeed to the county clerk, pay your
taxes, and wailah, it wasyours. In this way, most of
the land owned by black residents wasacre by acre, unethically transferred to white
ownership in the local officials of ForsythCounty never questioned it. It's incredibly unjust
(41:37):
when you think about it. Youdon't believe that people of other races have
the right to live here. Onceagain, this is the Oprah Winfrey Show,
an episode from nineteen eighty seven whereshe's interviewing residents of Forsyth County.
She asks the question, then extendsthe microphone towards a already something white lady,
(42:00):
lots of blush, bright blue jacket, big white earrings, of the
shape of triangles. They have theright to live wherever they want. To,
but we have the right to chooseif we want a white community.
Also, did you catch that shesaid, we have the right to choose
if we want a white community.Also, this is crazy when you think
(42:21):
about it. In America, acountry driven by the free market, how
exactly do you plan to keep yourcommunity all white without violence or threats of
violence. She's essentially saying that ifa black family buys a house there,
they have the right the right torun them off. Oprah handles this with
(42:42):
total grace. Listen, I believeexcuse me. Why is it that there
are people in this county, obviously, who are afraid of black people.
She walks across the room to interviewanother guy. He stands up, tall,
burly, light brown hair, andan enormous, bushy brown beard.
What is it you are afraid blackpeople are going to do well? I
(43:02):
mean, that's what I'd like toknow. I'm I'm afraid of them coming
to for psychany. I lived inAtlanta. I was born in Atlanta,
and in nineteen sixty three the firstblacks were bust to Westfold and Nice Scale.
And I go down there now andI see my neighborhood and my community
which was a nice community and niceneighborhood, and now it's nothing but a
(43:25):
red infested slum area because they don'tcare. They don't care. Thank you.
The crowd collapse. He takes hisseat. Now sent up, what
said you know, you know Hopeh'snot having it? He stands back up.
Do you mean they us the entireblack race, the entire black race
X and you have niggers here wego. All white people in the South
(43:49):
have heard this argument. By theway, what's the difference between a black
person and the nigger? To you, I've talked to black people. Black
people. They don't want to comeup here. They don't want to cause
any trouble. That's a black person, and nigg wants to come up here
in college trouble all the time.That's the difference. That's the difference.
He says. I've got to admitOprah's composure in the face of these bigots
(44:13):
is pretty amazing. Later in theclip, a narrator says that Oprah and
her crew made sure to be outof the county before sundown. And this
all this leaves me wondering, isit possible that the horrifying events of nineteen
twelve spawned these vile comments seventy fiveyears later. Also, if none of
(44:35):
the accused black men of Forsyth Countykilled may Crow, then who did?
And would they kill again? Andfinally, as nineteen twelve turns to nineteen
thirteen, what would happen when someof Forsyth Counties exiled black residents attempted to
move back. We're going to answerthose questions, wrap up this story and
(44:58):
kick off story number three that's nexttime on Catlic. Catolic is recorded in
(45:25):
Atlanta's historic Cabbagetown neighborhood. Executive producerwalnut Ridge Harmon. Original music and sound
design by Doucey l Cover art byRachel Eleanor Catolic store manager Brett Harmon.
Catolic Instagram Follower of the Week,Cody L. Thomas, Catholic Instagram Promoter
(45:51):
of the Week, Paula jay LangeCatolic Hater of the Week Shelley B.
One two nine, who says thepodcast would be way better without BT's quote
politically correct preachiness end quote. ShelleyB. One two nine, Thanks for
(46:12):
listening, and please remember that retellingand talking about stories of injustice from the
past has absolutely nothing to do withpolitics or being politically correct. Catlic Apple
Podcasts reviewer of the week Julia Geese, who says, quote Catlic is a
(46:32):
captivating podcast that any enthusiast of history, true crime, civil rights, and
Atlanta should listen to. It alwaysleaves me on the edge of my seat.
His dedication to telling the truth onthe matter and not romanticizing Atlanta's or
America's past is what people need tohear. Enquote, It's more like it.
(46:53):
Oprah Audio comes from the Oprah WinfreyNetwork and used via fair Use.
Be sure to check out oprah dotcom to hear the full clip. Did
you know there are already or bonusmany episodes waiting for you inside the vault.
It's true. We've got one onthe Atlanta race rite of nineteen oh
(47:16):
six, one on the art Heistof the Century, one on the Mystery
of the Headless Torso, and ourlatest, which dives into the shady history
of Southern night writers. Now theseare all premium episodes just for Catholic Vault
subscribers. Hundreds of other Catholic fanshave already gotten their vault, and I'd
(47:37):
like to invite you to join them. Just go Tocatlic dot com and click
on vault. That's catlic dot com. Vault. One more time, that's
catlic dot com. Just click onthe button that says fault. And finally,
Catolic is independently written and produced himme bt Harmon. Signing off,
(48:02):
I'd like to remind you to saveold buildings, build bike lanes, and
vote for public trains. We'll seeyou in the next episode.
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