Page Ter
HE STATE
Who Was the Man in
the Panama Hat?
THAT was the question which residents of the state
asked repeatedly, following the lynching of three
Negroes at Salisbury as the result of the Lyerly slay¬
ing. Mr. Bryant reveals some interesting infor¬
mation in connection with this event.
By II. E. C. BRYANT
NOHTII CAROLINA people are
more conservative (ban (he
citizen* of other Southern
States. They <lo not become excited
and do ra*h thing* except on rare oc¬
casion*. In all my ncn'»pa poring in
(he Kate I never reported but one
lynching, and (hat could liavo boon
prevented by one or two determined
men.
Thirty odd year* ago Rowan County
wa* the scene of a brutal butchery.
A farmer by the name of Lyerly, hi*
wife, and three small children were
billed with an nxe or axe«. The erime
wa* committed during the night, and
not discovered until the next morning.
Two half-grown girls, who slept up¬
stair* in the Lyerly home, never knew
of the death» of their parents and »ia-
ter* and brother on the first floor un¬
til hours later. Five plantation ne¬
groes, three men and two women,
were arrested, and charged with the
deed. I wa* among the first outsider*
at the Lyerly farm, and heard all of
the evidence produced, hut wa* not
satisfied in my own mind that the
negroes
чего
guilty. At that time a
number of axe murders were being
reported from variou» state.*, and some
of them were never wived.
Crime Shocked the Country
Mr. Lyerly was a man of standing;
a good farmer, a devoted husband and
a fond parent. His neighbors spoke
well of him. Hi* horrible death, along
with that of other members of his
family, shocked a large section of the
country.
The negroes, first taken to Salis¬
bury, were hurried to the penitentiary
at Raleigh for safe keeping, as there
were throat* of mob violence. Weeks
later, when brought back for trial, the
Rowan jail wa» raided; they were
seized, and the three men were hanged
on a large tree near the home of the
late John S. Henderson. The women
were beaten and set free.
Judge Benj. F. Long, of fiinte*ville.
was trying the negroe*; W. C. Ham¬
mer, of Ashoboro, solicitor, prosecut¬
ing them. One day had been devoted
to the «-lection of a jury, and the
taking of tediraony.
Л
euriou» crowd
had come to town to look on. Al¬
though all talk of violence had died
down there were those who apprehend¬
ed trouble from other* than Salisbury
rendents. 1 hiring the day efforts to
pick up throats wore made by county
officer* and other* but in vain.
Judge Long, a very nervous man,
warned several time* that lie would
jail anybody guilty of a move against
the prisoner». The shuffling of n fool
would cause him to repeat hi* warn¬
ing- I felt that be protested too much.
I saw men smile at his evident un¬
easiness. But, all went well until court
adjourned, and the people of the com¬
munity had had their evening meal.
About 8 o'clock, before good dark, a
family or two men, women and chil¬
dren — out strolling, stopped in front
of the jail, and peered about, innocent
of any evil intentions. They were
curious; “wondering if anything would
happen." Soon others eame. Tho
gathering grew- from a dozen to about
3,000, but a survey revealed no vicious
person. Now and then one would hear
the expression ; “If a leader should ap¬
pear here, and start a movement an
attempt would be made to lynch those
negroe*.”
Efforts to Start a Mob
La<cr, several weak, sporadic efforts
were made to start a mob. Officers
of the law had not thought it necessary
to disperse the erowd, for there wa»
no sign of anger. Many school bov*
and girls were milling around in it,
playing hide and seek. It was not a
lynching party.
As the night wore on other, came.
The news of the assembly had spread
to nearby communities. The Governor
of the State was called upon for troop*.
January 26 , 1935
Senator Lee S. Overman, Represent¬
ative Theodore F. Kluttz, and other
leaders of the county eame to the
court house and urged the crowd to
disperse ami go home. By this time
a few mischief maker* had decided to
get the negroe* if they could. Deter¬
mined men were deputized to guard
the priion. In the excitement a mnn
wa. shot. Then real attempt* to en¬
ter the jail were made, hut them did
not succeed, and the leader* of the dan¬
gerous element retired. A rusty look¬
ing little man a»kcd permission to
.peak, and wa* assisted to the plat¬
form at the back of the building. It
wa* thought he would advise the grow¬
ing crowd to break up but, instead,
he called the leader* coward*.
По
wa»
told to get out. and ho moved off with
other*. It looked then a* if the trou¬
ble were over. Hut, nbout that time
a company of militia eame double-
quick into the court yard, and it wa*
rumored the Governor hod ordered
them out with tho understanding that
they would take nothing but blank
cartridges. The reaction to this wa»
the opposite to what wa* expected. A
real mob commenced to form, and a
striking looking man in Panama bat,
and clothe* to match — a Granger in
the community — became its leader.
It wa* Dear midnight. The new¬
comer— handsome, clean shaven, square
jawed, and grim— called upon men at
his elbow to follow him. Inside of
a few minute* brick-bats were break¬
ing window» in every part of tho jail,
and »oon tho negroe* wore led out, and
carried away. About one o’clock the
men were hung, and their bodies mu¬
tilated for louvenirs.
Curiosity Swept the State
Great curiosity, as to the man in the
Panama hat, swept western North Caro¬
lina. No one who witnessed tho lynch¬
ing ever saw him before. Later I beard
report* that he eame from an eastern
county.
Several year* after that, when in the
county mentioned, the man under sus¬
picion, whom I knew well, stopped me,
and we had (his conversation :
"Did you bear tho report that I was
the man in the Panama hat at the Salis¬
bury lynching?” he inquired.
“I did," I Mid.
“Did you believe it!"
“I did not have sufficient evidence for
a conclusion. I did not see the man."
“You are a friend of mine!"
“Sure."
“Well, ju*l let the matter drop.”
A year or two after that the man
died. I am convinced he woro the
Panama hat.
