Claude Elder
Claude Elder, a Black man, was held in the Watkinsville jail in Georgia. In the early morning hours of late June 1905, a masked mob took him and other prisoners from the jail, and according to the Montgomery Advertiser he was tied to a fence post about 100 yards away and shot to death. Accounts differ on the date, giving June 28, June 29 or July 6, and on how many men were taken, with reports saying seven, eight or nine. The Fitzgerald Enterprise reported that the mob demanded the keys at gunpoint, while the Adair County News said the jailer gave in and led the mob to the cells. Governor Joseph M. Terrell told the Associated Press he would investigate the killings.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A masked mob took Claude Elder from the Watkinsville jail and shot him, per the Birmingham Age-Herald, the governor, and the Associated Press; the coroner's inquest was reported pending.
Reported by: Birmingham Age-Herald (reporters); Governor Joseph M. Terrell; Associated Press (reporters).
News reports (8)
- The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 30, 1905, page 1
- The Montgomery Advertiser, June 30, 1905, page 1
- The Pensacola Journal, June 30, 1905, page 1
- The Courier-Journal, June 30, 1905, page 1
- Fitzgerald Enterprise, July 1, 1905, page 1
- The French Broad Hustler, July 5, 1905, page 6
- Virginia Gazette, July 8, 1905, page 3
- The Adair County News, August 16, 1905, page 6