Isaac William Carter Gaston of Hillcrest Cemetery

This sketch highlights the life of Isaac William Carter Gaston who is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in East Point, Fulton County, Georgia.

Isaac “Ike” William Carter Gaston, son of William Burns Gaston and Alice Lillian Carter was born in Carrollton, Carroll County, Georgia on November 30, 1902. His parents had at least 12 children—Emma Gaston, Bessie Gaston, Teresa “Tessie” Gaston, Celesta D. Gaston, Willie Belle Gaston, Sallie R. Gaston, Alice (Allie) L. Gaston, Inez Gaston, Savannah Gaston, Lena Gaston, James Gaston, and Isaac “Ike” William Carter Gaston. 

Photo from The Atlanta Journal, March 10, 1940

On April 22, 1910, the Gaston family lived in College Park, Fulton County, Georgia. Ike was the youngest member of the family. His parents had been married for 29 years. Ike’s father worked as a mill hand/cotton carder at the mill. His sisters Sallie and Inez worked as winders and Allie a spinner at the cotton mill. Ike’s mother had given birth to 12 children, 11 of which were living. His widowed sister Emma lived in the home as well, along with her two daughters, Hattie (6) and Lee (5). Emma also worked as a winder at the cotton mill.

By January 2, 1920, the Gaston family had moved to Pumpkin Vine, District 0141, Paulding County, Georgia. All but James and Ike had moved out of their parents home. Ike’s father now worked as a farmer on a general farm while both James and Ike worked as farm laborers on the home farm. Everyone in the home could read and write.

Ike married Louise Kathryn Astin, daughter of Julian and Lillian Astin, about 1929. There was an 11 year age difference between the two. Ike and Louise had four children together—Julian William “Billy” Gaston, Robert “Bobby” Lee Gaston, Isaac Carter Gaston, and Kathryn Gaston. Their son Isaac, born on October 6, 1929 lived less than three months, dying from bronchial pneumonia at Grady Hospital in Atlanta on December 27, 1929. His death certificate records his burial location as Roseland Cemetery in Atlanta (noted as an unmarked grave on his Find A Grave memorial page); however, a December 29 funeral notice published in The Atlanta Constitution reported he was buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery:

GASTON—The friends of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Gaston are invited to attend the funeral of Isaac Carter Gaston, their two months’ old son at the residence, No. 62 Fair street, S.E., at 2:30 o’clock. Interment will be in Mt. Zion cemetery. Harry G. Poole, funeral director.

On April 10, 1930, Ike and his wife Louise lived in a rental home on Jackson Street in College Park. Ike worked as a barber in a barber shop. The 1933 Atlanta City Directory showed that Ike and Louise still lived in College Park and that he worked as a barber at a shop in East Point.

On the night of March 7, 1940, Ike disappeared from his one chair barbershop in East Point, Fulton County, Georgia. A man from the restaurant next door to the barber shop witnessed Ike “lying on his shop floor, apparently in an intoxicated stupor.” According to The Atlanta Constitution, the barbershop was found “empty, but with the front door open and the lights on” later that night. Ike’s body was found the next day by a farm hand who worked on the property, located just beyond the Ben Hill community of East Point. Ike had been badly beaten with a “flogging device” found nearby and described as a “heavy wooden handle eight inches long and about the size of the gripping end of a baseball bat, and a strap four feet long, three inches wide and one-half inch thick” that had been braided and “bound with wire.” Police believe Ike was forcibly taken by several men and driven to the field where he was flogged. Countless lash marks across his “back to his knees,” scratches on his face, and missing teeth were found by the police and undertaker. It was determined Ike had “stumbled along for 75 yards toward the road, finally dropping to the ground where exposure finished the work of the floggers.” He “had been dead for more than 12 hours” when found. Ike’s death was ruled a homicide by flogging and exposure to “rainy and snowy weather” according to his death certificate. The story of his disappearance and death was the headline in the newspaper on March 9.

The Atlanta Constitution, March 9, 1940

Ike had a history with the East Point Police force, having been previously arrested for charges related to drinking and spousal abuse. He was also known by the police chief “to be handy with a razor in a fight” and had been involved in a couple of altercations. In an interview with The Atlanta Constitution, Ike’s wife admitted that he drank “heavily and frequently” and that “she had been forced to call the police to control him,” but “nothing that Ike Gaston ever did justified the treatment he received at the hands of those men.” Community members described Ike, the son of a former sheriff, as “one of the best barbers in the state.” When not drinking, he “was kind and indulgent to his family.” But when he drank, “he was savage and hostile.”

Once released by the funeral home on March 9, Ike’s body was taken to his sister’s home in East Point. The funeral, officiated by Rev. Joseph Head, took place the next day at the Mercer Avenue Baptist Church in College Park. One of the floggers identified by a victim was seen at the funeral. Ike’s burial at Hillcrest Cemetery in East Point followed after the service. Ike, 36 years old, was survived by his wife Louise, sons Julian and Robert, daughter Kathryn; five sisters and one brother. 

Photo used with permission of Cynthia Jennings, Find A Grave ID 48321835

Possibly at the same time Ike’s funeral took place, an announcement was made that “several arrests” would be made soon as detectives knew “those responsible for the death of Ike Gaston.” However, they postponed making any arrests due to the possibility that whoever flogged Ike was also responsible for other floggings that had taken place. East Point and Fulton County police, who believed the flogging had been carried out by an organization and that “many persons who were members of the organization knew who flogged Gaston,” wanted to gather more evidence first. Instead, they questioned one man already in jail, sought a mill worker who had witnessed several men enter Ike’s barber shop and leave with him “huddled among them,” and continued to investigate 11 other recent floggings involving both blacks and whites. Four of the floggings had only been reported after the incident with Ike. When the police talked to the four victims, they discovered several details like what they found in Ike’s flogging. Three of the four victims stated they could identify their assailants. 

Within a week of Ike’s death, an officer investigating the recent floggings received a death threat in which a caller told him “You’d better lay off this investigation, or you’ll look like Ike Gaston did.” Several Fulton County deputy sheriffs and East Point police officers were alleged to have been engaged in “mysterious actions” involving “night riding activities” using “county-owned automobiles” and the Ku Klux Klan. It was also alleged that many of the floggings in the area “were never reported to police because the victims feared reprisals.” 

When rumors spread that the Ku Klux Klan may be linked “with a self-appointed group of vigilantes that police blame for the floggings,” the imperial wizard offered the services of Klan members “to place the responsibility where it belongs.” He also suspended the charter for the East Point Ku Klux Klan, “for cause.”

A week after Ike's death, the East Point City Council, East Point Post of the American Legion, and Legion Auxiliary adopted resolutions denouncing the floggings.

A coroner’s inquest was conducted at the funeral home. A witness testified that he “saw three men bring a man (apparently Gaston) out of the Gaston shop, and place him in a car.” Ike’s father-in-law testified “about a Ku Klux Klan parade at the Gaston home last summer. Mr. Astin said he heard about the parade but that Mrs. Gaston saw it.” Mr. Astin also testified that Ike immediately stopped drinking after the parade took place. Ike’s wife told the jury about a recent visit “by two men two weeks ago who asked to see her husband.” The coroner’s jury found that “Gaston came to his death as the result of an unlawful beating administered by three or more men, the identities of whom were not revealed by the evidence.” As a result of the coroner’s inquest, many victims and witnesses came forward regarding the other floggings. The Governor offered a $250 reward for information in Ike’s flogging case. Early in the investigation, police had four suspects they were looking at. The whip used to flog Ike was sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratories in Washington, DC. A grand jury was convened to hear testimony of the over 100 victims and witnesses, including 25 women. Many had received death threats if they told their story so the courts brought in extra protection. To further protect witnesses, some were questioned “in a secret rendezvous away from the courthouse.” The Fulton County police chief received a “threatening letter” “which seemed to suggest injury to the chief’s two-year-old grandson.” By the end of March, 10 Klan members had been indicted for participating in the floggings.

It was said Ike’s presence was felt in the courtroom when the trial began for the other floggings in mid-April 1940 and said those who participated in the floggings did so to punish men who “had been derelict in some way at home, or even took a little drink.”

Ike’s wife Louise appeared on the 1940 census record taken in Atlanta on April 11 as a widow with three children—Julian (age 9), Bobby (age 6), and Kathryn (age 3 months). This means that Kathryn was a newborn when Ike was killed. Louise and the children moved next door to her parents in Atlanta after Ike’s death.

By mid-August, Ike’s case was set aside while the Solicitor General sought re-election. The grand jury investigation into Ike’s flogging, however, led to the “indictment of 18 alleged members of the East Point and neighbor Klans on misdemeanor ‘flogging’ charges,” three of which were Fulton County deputy sheriffs and Klansmen.

Ike’s death and the subsequent floggings that came to light after his body was discovered was named the crime story of the year for 1940 in Atlanta. 

Ike had his faults but even with them, Louise loved him. When he was sober, he provided for his family in his own way. After his death, Louise came on hard times. The strain of the floggings and its aftermath took a huge strain on her; she struggled to feed her children and provide necessities. She eventually had to send her daughter to live with family in Boston. It was just too much to bear. 

Seventeen men were indicted with eight of them convicted for the 53 floggings uncovered after Ike’s death. As of March 6, 1942, Ike’s case remained unsolved. All eight convicted were pardoned by late 1942.

References

• ‘8 or 10’ Indictments Sought in ‘Flog’ Cases, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 14, 1940.
• Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1933.
• Can Pick Them Up at Once, Asserts Fulton Detective, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 10, 1940.
• Chief Gets Threat in Flogging Case, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 19, 1940.
• Cope, Willard, Active Part in Whippings Laid to ‘Crew Boss,’ The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, April 18, 1940.
• Cope, Willard, Body is Streaked with Welts from Ingenious Whip: East Point Victim's Clothes Replaced After Attack; Region Scene of Several Lashings, The Atlanta Constitution, March 9, 1940.
• Craig, Pete, Five New Flog Victims Quizzed for Evidence Against Ten Klansmen, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, April 2, 1940.
• Death Threat to Officer Marks Flogging Probe, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 13, 1940.
• East Point Council Resolution Decries Activities of Hoodlums, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 13, 1940.
• East Point Legion Attacks Flogging, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 13, 1940.
• Father-in-Law of Flog Victim Tells of Parade, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 14, 1940.
• Federal Grand Jury Told to Probe Floggings, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 11, 1940.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46372577/isaac-william_carter-gaston: accessed 26 September 2023), memorial page for Isaac William Carter “Ike” Gaston (30 Nov 1902–8 Mar 1940), Find a Grave Memorial ID 46372577, citing Hillcrest Cemetery, East Point, Fulton County, Georgia, USA; maintained by East Point Historical Soc (contributor 50779333).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76806859/isaac-carter-gaston: accessed 26 September 2023), memorial page for Isaac Carter “Buddy” Gaston Jr. (6 Oct 1929–27 Dec 1929), Find a Grave Memorial ID 76806859, citing Roseland Cemetery, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Jeff Goodwin (contributor 47515838).
• Flog Witnesses Being Quizzed in a ‘Hideaway,’ The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, September 22, 1940.
• Flogging Probe Events Traced from Day-to-Day, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 31, 1950.
• Flowers on Ike Gaston’s Grave Mark Date of Flogging Death, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 6, 1942.
• Gaston obituary, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 10, 1940.
• Gaston, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, December 29, 1929.
• Gov. Talmadge Pardons Three Floggers Here, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, December 8, 1942.
• Important Clues Hinted in Flogging Mystery, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 10, 1940.
• Isaac (Ike) Carter Gaston Certificate of Death no. 0709, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1940.
• Isaac Carter Gaston Certificate of Death no. 29-32791, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1929.
• Jarman, Rufus, 2 Fulton Deputies Night-Riders, Policeman’s Testimony Implies, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 13, 1940.
• Job Necessary Now, So Widow of Gaston Can’t Attend Hearing, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, November 25, 1941.
• Julian William Gaston and Lois Gold, Certificate of Intention of Marriage no. 67-7872, State of New Hampshire, 1967.
• Klan Floggings Rated First in Ten Big Stories of Year Here, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, December 18, 1940.
• Klan Offers Help in Solving South Fulton Flogging Death, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 9, 1940 (evening).
• Long, Don, Busy Grand Jury Hints ‘Major Break’ in Flog Quiz, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 21, 1940.
• Male Mystery Witness Found in Gaston Case, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, June 23, 1940.
• Martin, Harold, Gaston Ghost’s Presence Is Felt in Courtroom, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, April 18, 1940.
• Mr. Ike C. Gaston, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 9, 1940.
• Reward of $250 offered by State in Flogging Case, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 12, 1940.
• Scarborough, Flog Figure, Quits as Deputy, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, December 30, 1941.
• Scott, Deezy, Gaston’s Heart-Broken Wife Relates Story of Life with Him, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 12, 1940.
• Three Floggers Given Pardon by Talmadge, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, December 8, 1942.
• U.S. Federal Census, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, 1940.
• U.S. Federal Census, College Park, Fulton County, Georgia, 1910, 1930.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 714, Carroll County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Pumpkin Vine, District 0141, Paulding County, Georgia, 1920.
• Violence of Nature, Human Emotions Dominate Year’s News, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, December 29, 1940.
• W. V. Ingram, Certificate of Death no. 1653, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1929.
• Wholesale Floggings Bared at Probe of Fatal Whipping, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 10, 1940.
• Willie Belle Ingram, Certificate of Death no. 29117, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1934.
• Wizard Hopes He Can Restore Charter of Klan, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, April 20, 1940.