109.The Rowan County Axe Murders: The Lyerly Family
In July of 1906, Rowan County, North Carolina, was shaken by one of the most brutal crimes in state history. Isaac Lyerly, his wife Augusta, and two of their young children were murdered in their farmhouse near Barber Junction. Bludgeoned with the family’s own axe and left in a fire meant to destroy the evidence, the crime horrified Salisbury and quickly drew national attention.
Three of the surviving Lyerly sisters escaped the burning home, carrying their wounded sister Alice to safety, only to watch her die hours later. What followed was a wave of fear, anger, and suspicion that led to the arrest of several African American tenant farmers who lived and worked on the Lyerly farm. Within weeks, three of them, Nease Gillespie and his sons Jack and Harrison, were lynched by a mob of thousands before a trial could ever be held.
But was the official story true? Some said the motive was a dispute over a wheat crop. Others pointed to alleged confessions. And decades later, researchers Bill and Rachel James, authors of The Man From the Train, suggested the Lyerlys may have been victims of a traveling serial killer whose bloody trail of axe murders stretched across the country.
In this episode of Hard Times and True Crimes, we take you back to Rowan County before and after the Civil War, through the life of Isaac Lyerly, the night of the murders, the chaos that followed, and the questions that remain to this day. Was justice done , or did fear and mob violence bury the truth forever?
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
•Life in Salisbury and Rowan County from the Civil War through 1906
•Isaac Lyerly’s story as a farmer, veteran, and father
•The night of the murders and the survival of the Lyerly sisters
•The arrests, mob violence, and Rowan County’s infamous lynching
•Theories of motive and The Man From the Train connection
•A reflection on justice, due process, and the scars of history
Sources and Further Reading:
•The Man From the Train by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James
•A Game Called Salisbury by Susan Barringer Wells
•Troubled Ground: A True Story of Race, Sex, and Murder in the South by Claude Clegg
•Articles and archives from Newspapers.com
•Local history blog: Iredell County Public Library
•Rowan County records and archives
•FindAGrave.com memorials for the Lyerly and Gillespie families
•Contemporary news reports from The Charlotte Observer and The Salisbury Post
Credits
- Narration: Curtis Hildreth
- Music: Isaiah Hildreth
- Research & Writing for this episode: Darlene Hildreth
- Co-Host / Listener’s Seat: Melody Gwyn
Call to Action
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Hard Times and True Crimes, leave us a review, and share this story with someone who loves history and true crime. Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram for more behind-the-scenes content.
hardtimesandtruecrimes.com buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC