Last Mob Lynching in Texas - Eastland Texas
N 32° 24.149 W 098° 49.186
14S E 516949 N 3585063
This marker documents the Last Mob Lynching in the State of Texas.
Waymark Code: WM8348
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/19/2010
Views: 10
Marker text:
Last Mob Lynching in the state of Texas
AT THIS SITE, ON TUESDAY NIGHT, NOV 19, 1929 MARSHALL RATLIFF WAS HUNG FROM A UTILITY POLE GUY WIRE UNTIL DEAD BEFORE A CROWD OF ABOUT 1,500 PEOPLE. RATLIFF WAS ALSO KNOWN AS THE SANTA CLAUS ROBBER FOR HIS DRESSINGS AS SANTA CLAUS AND LEADING A GANG OF FOUR TO ROB THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CISCO ON DEC 23, 1927 HE AND HIS GANG MURDERED TWO PEOPLE DURING THIS ROBBERY SEVERAL WERE WOUNDED AND 6 ULTMATELY DIED AS A RESULT OF THIS ROBBERY RATLIFF HAD BEEN TRIED FOR HIS CRIMES AND WAS SERVING TIME IN HUNTSVILLE PRISON WHEN HE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO EASTLAND COUNTY OCT 24-1989 HE TRIED TO ESCAPE ON NOV 18, 1929 AND MORTALLY WOUNDED THE JAILER UNCLE TOM JONES DURING THIS FUTILE ATTEMPT THE NEXT DAY AN ANGRY MOB STORMED THE JAIL AND DRUG THE NUDE RATLIFF FROM HIS SECOND STORY CELLTO THIS PRESENT SITE THE FIRST ROPE BROKE WITH HIS WEIGHT AND ANOTHER WAS QUICKLY BROUGHT TO THE SCENE WHERE UPON HE WAS ALLOWED TO HANG FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES UNTIL DECLARED DEAD BY THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE WORD OF RATLIFFS HANGING WAS PROMPTLY SENT TO JONES THE WOUNDED JAILER WHOTHEN DIED WITHIN HOURS.
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