You Never Know Where A Path Might Lead You

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Posted by: Steve Hardwick
Date: Sep 13 2019 1:49 PM

Three years ago today I wrote this story about 19 Year Old Wesley Johnson who was lynched, shot and hung over 80 years ago in Tumbleton Alabama.

Posted 09/13/2016

When I started the Angel Of Hope Statue I said that I was doing it for
" All Children no matter their age ".

( A few years ago I was told the story about Wesley Johnson age 19. He was a young black man who was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman in Henry County Alabama in 1936 or 1937 and was arrested by the Sheriff.

Before he could have his trial to prove he was innocent or guilty a mob of approximately 100 men lynched him from the county jail, hung him from a tree in Tumbleton and riddled his body with bullets.

There is a news report in the archives of the impeachment trial to have the sheriff removed from office for supposedly knowing that Wes Johnson was innocent when he arrested him.

The sad story of this event has stayed with me ever since. Several months ago I went to the church cemetery where Wes is buried. There were many unmarked graves perhaps from age so I never found his grave.

Wesley Johnson’s parents have long been deceased..But For Wesley and his parents who may be looking down on us from Heaven..I donated to the Angel Of Hope Statue today in memory of you Wesley.)

Two years after I wrote that I found Wesley’s unmarked grave and I also found one of Wesley’s relatives...James Johnson.

With his permission I had a marked headstone placed on Wesley’s grave.

Deservingly After 80 years ...Wesley Finally Had A Headstone

You never know where a path might lead you to..

I’m proud to say that this path led me to James Johnson,

a person I never heard of before, a person I probably would have never met..

I am very proud to call him my friend.

Steve Hardwick 

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