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Full Name
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Thomas Thompson
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Name Variations
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Tom Thompson, Tom Tompson
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Biography
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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.
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Documented or Attempted
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Attempted
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Birth Date
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1866
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County of Birth; County of Death
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Elmore County; Elmore County
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Death Date
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1955
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Date of Attempted Lynching
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June 17, 1898
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Age at Death
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89
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Race
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Black
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Sex
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Male
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Researchers
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Mann Boughton
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Case Number
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AMP 123-18980617-001
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Identified by:
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Alabama Memory Project
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Mother
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Susan Thompson
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Father
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N. Thompson
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Spouse or Partner
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Ada (Adar) Sandlin, Annie Auls
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Child
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Evie Thompson, Sevesta Thompson, James Thompson, Eugene Thompson, Ruby Nell Thompson (adoptive daughter)
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All other relatives
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James Thompson (brother)
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Occupation
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Farmer; personal property
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Education Level
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Grade 2
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Head of Household and Literacy Status
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Yes; Yes
