816. Man Lynched in Milton Enroute to Pensacola 1913

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Sep 29, 20224 min read

The study of history can be enlightening, even those times that make us ashamed of our past. George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!" Therefore, studying all of history, both the good and the bad, is important so that it never be repeated in our own lifetime or beyond.

One such example occurred on Saturday night in Milton, Florida in 1913, an act that was sadly repeated throughout the South during this historical period! This incident began in the small crossroads community of Esto, in Holmes County, Florida, about ten miles south of Bonifay. On the night of July 6, 1913, a prominent farmer and his wife left their children at home and went to visit one of their neighbors. When they returned, they discovered their six-year old daughter had been assaulted by an unnamed assailant. The farmer immediately sent word throughout the neighborhood and a search party was assimilated and began searching for the offender. With the help of Deputy Hamp George, the alleged assailant was captured nearby. Since Esto had no holding facility, the accused was transported to the Bonifay jail and held for the sheriff.

When Sheriff James Zinniman Mayo (1877-1954) arrived, the accused was interrogated and confessed to the alleged offense. But, it soon became apparent to Sheriff Mayo that the feelings of the citizenry had become so intense that it was going to be necessary to remove the accused to Marianna to keep him safe. The newspaper wrote that the little girl was on the point of death, which alone enraged the crowd even further. An assault on a six-year old caused a mob to begin forming, especially since it had only been two years since a similar crime had been committed in nearby Darlington, just 28-miles away. As word of his transfer spread, citizens from Esto and Bonifay took to their vehicles and began arriving in Marianna. In an attempt to head off the growing mob, Sheriff Mayo secreted his charge to the depot by cab and boarded a train bound for Pensacola on Sunday July 7, hoping they would not follow them that far. Sadly, he was mistaken! The telephone lines lit up and word was passed to friends and families in Milton that Sheriff Mayo was on his way.

As the train approached Milton around 10:00 PM, Mayo saw that a crowd was already blocking the tracks. As the train ground to a halt, men rushed the train searching for their intended victim. Mayo had already removed his prisoner's cuffs so that he would not be identified so easily and even hid him under a seat and covered him with newspapers and other articles. His efforts were no avail and the man was snatched up and removed from the train. He was held for five hours while they waited for others, perhaps the victim's family, to arrive from Bonifay. Upon their arrival at 2:00 AM Sunday, he was hung from a telegraph pole nearby and his body was riddled with gunfire. Many in Milton stated that the men responsible were all from out of town and no locals took part, however this could not be proven either way.

Afterwards, State Attorney John Patrick Stokes left Pensacola and traveled to Milton to attend the coroner's inquest into the lynching. After examining the available witnesses no determination could be made as to who was involved in the murder of the victim. Therefore, the jury's finding was that he met his death at the hands of unknown persons.

As to the victim's name or burial site, no one has ever recorded any further information about him. Regardless of his confession, he was still deserving of his day in court per his due process rights. As for Sheriff James Zinniman Mayo (1877-1954) he would serve as sheriff of Holmes County, Florida from 1913-1917. In 1940, he entered the logging business and was living in Ponce de Leon. He married Joan Sutton (1877-1946) and both are buried in the New Ponce de Leon Cemetery, Ponce de Leon, Florida. State Attorney John Patrick Stokes (1886-1939), a Pensacolian by birth, was later elected a state senator in 1910 and reelected in 1918. He and his wife Bertha (Hendrix) (1884-1945) owned a house at 1304 North Barcelona Street until John left the state senate and moved his law practice to Miami in 1924. There, he would pass away from streptococcus in 1939.

A review of other similar lynching's around this same time showed one on Yellow River on July 7 for the alleged murder of Sheriff T. L. Cherry near Jacksonville and a second on July 11 for aiding the alleged murder of Deputy Sheriff Parrish in Blountstown, Florida.