Giles County Community Remembrance Project
Elmo Howard, age 18, lynched in Pulaski
Aug 12, 2024
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Mr. Elmo Howard, age 18, was murdered by a crowd of as many as 2,000 people in Pulaski on May 8, 1908.
On the evening of Wednesday May 6, 1908, 16-year-old Miss Claudie Allen was milking a cow at her family’s farm in the Goodspring/Anthony Hill area of Giles County when she “was suddenly assaulted” by a light-skinned Black man. She reported that he “seized her and [...] she succeeded in breaking away, having already given alarm to her mother at the house by her shrieks.”
On Thursday, May 7, Claudie’s father and “quite a number” of white citizens from the city and county gathered and used bloodhounds to attempt to locate the assailant. The hounds followed a trail from the Allen farm to Elmo Howard’s home nearby, and Elmo was immediately seized and brought back to the Allen farm. When Claudie Allen had the opportunity to identify whether Elmo was the perpetrator, she said that she “could not positively identify him,” and that the assailant was probably larger than Elmo. Elmo claimed to be able to prove an alibi.
That afternoon, Sheriff John W. Holt and a “posse of citizens” arrested Elmo and held him in the Giles County Jail [then located at the site of the present-day City Hall on S. 1st Street]. Newspapers reported that Sheriff Holt pleaded with several local figures to avoid a mob that night, writing that “much suppressed excitement existed and Judge Lynch had prepared to hold court, but Sheriff Holt and a few cool-headed citizens probably saved the boy’s life.” The case was immediately sent to the Grand Jury in session at that time.
Early the next morning, Friday May 8, “it was rumored that an attempt would be made to lynch Elmo Howard, and this rumor seemed to have foundation, when it became apparent that an unusually large crowd was in town. Men from all sections of the county were standing about in bunches discussing the matter.”
Meanwhile, the Grand Jury returned an indictment against Elmo Howard for criminal assault with intent to commit rape, and set his trial for Monday, May 11. “It was thought that the fact of the prisoner’s speedy trial had allayed the mob spirit,” but when the crowd learned Mr. Howard would not be tried for a capital offense (punishable by the death penalty) and could only serve a maximum of 21 years in the penitentiary, they “became frenzied and took the law into their hands.” The crowd gradually increased, “and by 2 o'clock perhaps 1,600 men were standing about the Square in groups, which, by common consent, seemed to gravitate toward the jail.”
Sheriff John W. Holt and Deputy Roy Pittard addressed a mob crowd of 200-300 in front of the jail. This “lynching committee” with “some of the best citizens in the town and county” would not be dispersed.. Sheriff Holt returned to the jail, “failing to conciliate the mob, and locked the front door in the residence portion of the jail.”
As soon as Sheriff Holt had locked the door behind him, “there was a wild shout, and a rush for the door.” The mob smashed the glass and broke through the doors to the jailer’s residence to gain access to the jail, which was protected by strong steel doors. Deputy Sheriff Roy Pittard had fled into the jail and “locked himself inside it with Howard and the other prisoners,” refusing to give the keys to the mob.
The mob called for sledgehammers and cold chisels, and there was a delay while they waited for someone to return with the tools. Soon, “heavy blows [...] resounded throughout the locality” as the mob broke down the door to the jail. “Sheriff Holt still expostulated and plead with the mob. The outer doors having been battered open, the mob rushed up the steps leading to the cage on the second floor and battering down another door and hacking the steel case combination with cold chisels, soon had the object of their quest.”
“With a ferocious cheer of wild satisfaction the crowd threw a rope round the prisoner's neck” and marched to the south side of the Public Square. They paused at the half-completed courthouse [the present-day courthouse was under construction at this time, opening the following year in 1909], but found they couldn’t easily access the steel beams of the center tower in order to hang Elmo from the courthouse. At a shout of “The Bridge!” the mob turned south on S. 2nd Street.
While the courthouse was under construction, Circuit Court temporarily met in the third story of the C.A. Reynolds building at the southwest corner of 2nd Street & Madison Street, and this court was in session at the time of the lynching. [Second Street Coffee House & Giles Psychiatric Associates currently occupy the ground level of this C.A. Reynolds building.] Circuit Court Judge Sam Holding, Attorney General Job Garner, and the Grand Jury looked down on the mob as they marched past “without any concealment. Many of them, no doubt, were personally known to members of the court and Grand Jury.” From there the mob continued south to Cemetery Street, arriving at the Richland Creek Bridge [located at the present-day Trail of Tears overlook, 212 W. Cemetery Street].
“Men and boys at work in the various shops and stores about town heard the commotion and, learning what was going on, rushed out to see. The schools were just out and several hundred school boys joined the crowd. Altogether there were probably two thousand or more spectators.”
“The rope had been round [Elmo’s] neck ever since he had been taken from the jail.” Upon arrival at the Richland Creek Bridge, the mob allowed him “a few seconds” to pray. Someone secured the rope to the bridge and “Howard was made to mount the guard rail of one of the spans, from which he was pushed, falling about ten feet.” Elmo’s dead body was allowed to hang there for about three hours before his mother, stepfather, and friends took his body down to bury it.
When the Grand Jury reassembled on Tuesday May 12, Judge Sam Holding “gave the Grand Jury a firm and pointed special charge” that “under their oaths the Grand Jury must return indictments [against the leaders of the lynch mob], and that if this Grand Jury did not he would empanel one that would. A large number of witnesses were subpoenaed before the Grand Jury.” However, the Grand Jury did not return any indictments. Judge Holding called the Grand Jury in again the following day, and again called for them to review the evidence, but only one member would vote for an indictment. At this, Judge Holding “expressed sorrow and discharged the jury for the term.” No one would ever be charged with the murder of Elmo Howard.
Judge Sam Holding, incensed by the Grand Jury’s refusal to indict anyone for the murder of Elmo Howard, did exercise his authority to charge nine leaders of the lynch mob with contempt of court, for having marched the mob past the Circuit Court while they were well aware that court was in session, in blatant disregard for the rule of law. The nine individuals charged were James L. Akers, Irby Scruggs, Marvin Puryear, Morgan Doss, John Donnell, Marvin Pittard, Wiley Rogers, Albert Pittard, B.W. Hicks, Oakley Rogers, & Joe Surls. They were punished with a fine of $50 each, and their case was appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court, where the court upheld their conviction for Contempt of Court.
Sources:
The Chattanooga Star, May 8 1908
The Chattanooga Star, May 9 1908
The Pulaski Citizen, May 14 1908
The Columbia Herald, May 15 1908
The Nashville Globe, October 23 1908
“Akers et al in error,” Tennessee Supreme Court, filed December 5 1908
