Perhaps One On Georgia

Source Type: Newspaper
Publisher: The Choctaw Advocate
Place of publication: Butler, Alabama
Date of publication: 1916-02-02
Transcript:

Sumter county, Ala., has gone on record with another lynching. A negro boy, eighteen years old, was captured at Boyd Station while attempting to rob a store, and while enroute to Livingston jail, was taken from the guard and lynched.

The store had been robbed on several previous occasions, and it seems that a close watch was kept on the store by the brother of Miss Peel, the owner. When the robbery or attempt to rob was made, Richard Burton, the boy lynched, was caught by Mr.Peel who was severely cut and stabbed about the face and body by his captives. Miss Peel went to the rescue of her brother and bound the negro hand and foot. Neighbors were notified and the negro turned over to a guard to be taken to jail. Not far from Boyd a mob overpowered the guard and quickly ended the life of Burton, but not until he had confessed his guilt and implicated two other negroes who are now confined in Livingston jail.

Crimes have been committed and lynchings had, which in the eyes of many seemed justifiable and right, but to this instance life was taken for the crime of burglary and assault- we doubt, never before known or recorded- even in the history of lynchings in the state of Georgia.

The sheriff of Sumter was busy all last week investigating the matter, after the conclusion of which, he will report to Governor Henderson, who will use every means in his power to ascertain and bring the guilty parties to account.