The site of the Jim-Ree Museum, 24 South Oliver Street,
Elberton, Georgia, the former county jail, is noted as a historic landmark for
its architecture; however, the building is more than brick and mortar.
On May 9, 1931, the governor of Georgia declared Elberton to
be under martial law and ordered the national guard to assist the sheriff in
protecting a detainee. John Downer, an
African American, was accused and arrested for the assault of a white woman. As
news of the charge sprouted, a volatile crowd amassed, demanding the release of
John Downer to the crowd.
The sheriff did not hand his prisoner over to the mob and
stood firm. By evening, the mob had grown to approximately two thousand and had
bullied their way into the jail.
The local national guardsmen troops grew to include two troops
from Monroe, Georgia as well as two national guardsmen from Atlanta. The men
from Atlanta came with tear gas. Getting control of the situation, under the protection
of the darkness of night, the national guardsmen secreted John Downer safety away
dressed in a guardsman’s uniform.
Elbert Parr Tuttle was one of the guardsmen from Atlanta. Elbert Parr Tuttle would later become a defense attorney for John Downer and ultimately Tuttle became a chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Not a lot is known about John Downer; but, if you want to read
more about this historic case the following links are available.
