This is Herbert Eugene Clay. He was the son of Senator Alexander Stephens Clay. Senator Alexander S. Clay’s likeness is a statue in Glover Park on the Square in Marietta. Herbert looks like a little cherub here.
When Herbert Eugene Clay grew up he became mayor of Marietta and after that a circuit judge of north Georgia. Having been mayor of Marietta and also having been a circuit judge to judge over crimes being brought to trial in north Georgia you would think Herbert would be a law abiding citizen would you?
Wrong! He was one of the main instigators, master planners, and ring leaders of kidnapping Leo Frank out of a Milledgeville state prison in 1915 and lynching him in Marietta.
I am reading a book about that terrible ordeal, so more will probably follow.
Ready for more.
ReplyDeleteI was no angel either, but nothing like this.
You are related to everyone in
Georgia so you must be related to ol' Herb, also.
Si,
ReplyDeleteNo, to the best of my knowledge I am not related, although my Trammel kin back then ran around with him.
Like I say, I am not related, but we used to stop in their yard every day walking home from school to relieve ourselves in the bushes - always number 1, and sometimes number 2 - what does that make us - bush Kin?