The Public Lynching of Samuel Tom Wilkes A.K.A "Sam Hose" in 1899
2 Posted by Jae Jones - September 14, 2018 - BLACK MEN, Injustices, LATEST POSTS
In April of 1899, #Sam Hose was accused of killing his employer, and assaulting his employers wife and baby then fleeing from crime. Hose was born Tom Wilkes in South Georgia near Marshallville around 1875. He grew up on a farm owned by the Jones family, and later moved to Coweta County where he changed his name to "Sam Hose".
It is told that Sam Hose and his employer, Alfred Cranford, got into a heated argument after Hose requested time off to visit his sick mother. During the argument Alfred Cranford became infuriated and pulled a gun out on Hose. Hose trying to defend himself threw the ax he had been working with at time in the field toward Cranford. The ax struck and killed his employer in self-defense. However, that would not be the story that the angry White mob would believe or tell. Hose ran but the search was on to find him by hundreds of angry White men. He was soon found in Marshallville and returned to Coweta County. He was removed from the train by a White mob at gunpoint, and the Governor at the time William Yates Atkins and Judge Freeman pleaded for him to be turned over to the authorities, but that didn't happen. Hose was marched to the Cranford home by a mob that had grown to over 2000 people. People had boarded the train from afar just to see the punishment of Hose.
Hose's body parts were cut from his body; ears, fingers, nose, and genitals and were sold to those who wanted them. The skin from his face was removed and his body was doused with kerosene. He was tied to a tree and burned alive. A mob gathered in Palmetto, Ga., to watch Hose being burned alive. After he was burned, White spectators rushed to collect bits and pieces from his badly burned body to hold on to as souvenirs.His knuckles were for sale in a grocery store located on a road traveled by W.E.B Dubois. Dubois was traveling to the city to find out what he could do to help Hose, when he heard that Hose's body parts were for sale on the road he was traveling. Dubois is said to have hung his head low, turned around and headed back home.
http://www.times-herald.com/Local/20120419gathering-sam-hose-MOS
Sam HoltSam HoseSamuel Wilkes