Lynching of James and Alonzo Green
Alonzo and James D. Green were innocent father-and-son African-Americans lynched near Round Oak and Wayside, Jones County, Georgia in retaliation for the murder of popular white farmer Silas Hardin Turner on July 4, 1915. A third man, William Bostick was also lynched on this day. None of those killed received a trial.
Background
Alonzo Green worked as an axeman in a local sawmill. He had married Cora in 1902 and had two children James D. and Annie M.. White farmer Silas Hardin Turner was a prominent planter in Jones County, Georgia and the son of John D. Turner and Mattie Hardin.Lynching
Silas Turner was reportedly attempting to collect a debt from someone in the house of W. H. King when he was allegedly murdered by a Black man on the morning of Sunday, July 4, 1915. A White mob, some 500 men strong, quickly formed and rounded up the local black population. While the Tampa Tribune reported that local Sheriff Etheridge and his deputies hunted for the murderers of Turner. The mob killed father and son Alonzo and James D. Green. To prevent word of the lynching from reaching the outside world the lines of communication were cut. Sheriff Etheridge was quoted as saying that Alonzo and James Green had nothing to do with the murder of Turner. After the lynching Sheriff Etheridge brought in three suspects for Turner's murder Will Gordon, Scott Farr and Squire Thomas.Alonzo's wife was eight-months pregnant with their daughter.
Aftermath
In the Jim Crow Era a documented around 675 people lost their lives to lynchings in Georgia. A few of these are listed below:| Date | Place | Event | Death toll | Property Damage |
| February 8, 1919 | Blakeley, Georgia | Race Riot | 4 killed | |
| April 13–15, 1919 | Jenkins County, Georgia | Race Riot | 6 killed | 3 black Masonic lodges and 7 black churches burned down |
| May 10, 1919 | Sylvester, Georgia | Race Riot | 1 killed | - |
| May 27–29, 1919 | Putnam County, Georgia | Arson attack | 2 black Masonic lodges and 5 black churches burned down | |
| July 6, 1919 | Dublin, Georgia | Black protection group prevents lynching | ||
| August 27–29 | Laurens County, Georgia | Race Riot | 1 killed | 1 black Masonic lodges and 3 black churches burned down |
Four years after the Green family lynchings these race riots were one of several incidents of civil unrest that began in the so-called American Red Summer of 1919. Terrorist attacks on black communities and white oppression in over three dozen cities and counties. In most cases, white mobs attacked African American neighborhoods. In some cases, black community groups resisted the attacks, especially in Chicago and Washington DC. Most deaths occurred in rural areas during events like the Elaine Race Riot in Arkansas, where an estimated 100 to 240 black people and 5 white people were killed. Also in 1919 were the Chicago Race Riot and Washington D.C. race riot which killed 38 and 39 people respectively. Both had many more non-fatal injuries and extensive property damage reaching into the millions of dollars.