Thomas Thompson

Full Name

Thomas Thompson

Victim Profile

Thomas Thompson

Name Variations

Tom Thompson, Tom Tompson

Biography

On June 17, 1898, Tom Thompson, 32, survived an attempted lynching in Elmore County by a mob of white citizens after being accused of the robbery and murder of three elderly white people. Tom Thompson was born in Elmore County, AL in 1866 to N. and Susan Thompson. He has a brother, James, who is two years younger. According to Ms. Jackie Lacey, he had three other brothers. He was Black, the son of a “mulatto” father and black mother. Thompson was able to read and write despite having a second-grade education. He was a farmer for much of his adult life. In 1898, Tom Thompson and his four brothers were accused of the robbery and murder of an elderly white couple and another white man. As a result of this accusation, four men were lynched, but Tom was released once his brothers claimed that he was not involved in the crime. In 1906, Tom married Ada Sandlin, also known as Adar. In 1910, Thompson is listed as having four children: Evie (Born c. 1890), Sevesta (Born c. 1892), James (Born c. 1896), and Eugene (Born C. 1898). These children may be of Ada or the woman that Tom married at 18 years old. In 1919, Thompson married Annie Auls, with whom he adopted Ruby Nell Thompson, a girl born around 1928. Tom and his family were parishioners of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church in Elmore County. According to Ms. Jackie Lacey, Tom Thompson was a valued member of the Wetumpka community who shared the story of the 1898 lynching for years after. Thompson Died in 1955 around the age of 89.

Documented or Attempted

Attempted

Birth Date

1866

County of Birth; County of Death

Elmore County; Elmore County

Death Date

1955

Date of Attempted Lynching

June 17, 1898

Age at Death

89

Race

Black

Sex

Male

Researchers

Mann Boughton

Case Number

AMP 123-18980617-001

Identified by:

Alabama Memory Project

Mother

Susan Thompson

Father

N. Thompson

Spouse or Partner

Ada (Adar) Sandlin, Annie Auls

Child

Evie Thompson, Sevesta Thompson, James Thompson, Eugene Thompson, Ruby Nell Thompson (adoptive daughter)

All other relatives

James Thompson (brother)

Occupation

Farmer; personal property

Education Level

Grade 2

Head of Household and Literacy Status

Yes; Yes