Policeman Lee Cape had always suspected his enemies would eventually get him. But he would tell his friends, “but when they do, I’ll be so old I won’t have lost too many years anyway.”
William Lee Cape, better known as Lee Cape, spent the better part of four decades in law enforcement. Lee was born two years before the Civil War began and by the age of 18, had moved in with his grandmother who lived in Pickens County.
Lee had a reputation by his early 20s of being a tough guy.
One of the earliest accounts of Lee’s bravery were seen in 1885, when the Atlanta Constitution presented the following tale
On one such adventure, Lee, 23, was described as being a very quiet, but utterly fearless young man, had come north with a Internal Revenue Agent on the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad. Five moonshiners were approached by Cape and his party. They scattered and one ran by Cape and jumped into the icy waters of a nearby creek.
The following conversation ensued:
Cape: “Halt! Don’t run.” Lee pulled out a large revolver.
Moonshiner: (in the middle of the creek) “Hello Lee.”
Cape: “Hello Mose. Come out and give up.”
Mose: “Come out hell! You come in and take me if you want me!”
Cape: “You run and I’ll shoot you.”
Mose: “I won’t run.”
Cape: “Well, come out then!”
Mose: “I won’t!”
Cape: “Well, stand there!”
Mose: “I’ll do it!”
Cape: All right. You stand in that water and I’ll stand here. I can stand it if you can.”
Mose: (with teeth chattering) “Lee!”
Cape: “Hey?”
Mose: “I’ll have to cave, I’m coming out.”
“All right.”
Mose climbed out the icy water, and dripping wet, and Lee led him off to camp.
The Vigilantes
A few years later, in 1889, Lee was listed as one of the upstanding citizens the Honest Man’s Friend and Protector Group wanted to target. Lee was one of the officers that apprehended some of the original members of the group. He had a history of going up against moonshiners and they knew it.
One day, while he was arresting bootleggers at Aiken family Cemetery, (located on private property near today’s Lumber Company Road, not far from the City Park) he got into a scuffle with a man named McFarland from Keithsburg, Cherokee County. McFarland was killed when a weapon Lee had confiscated accidentally discharged in a scuffle.
As a result, some people, especially moonshiners, thought Lee was too zealous in his pursuit of justice.
A Family Tragedy
Then in 1924, tragedy struck. Levi, one of Cape’s sons, showed up at Lee’s home in Hinton and murdered Lee’s other son Hobart. Levi went to prison for a number of years before finally being pardoned.
The Heinous Murder of Lee
In September 1927, Lee Cape was murdered in the line of duty while pursuing moonshiners.
He and his grandson had gone out for a drive on that Saturday afternoon, when at approximately 3 pm, Lee told his grandson to leave him and return an hour later. At around 4 pm, Lee’s grandson heard five shots in the direction his Lee had gone. When his grandfather never returned, the grandson traveled to Jasper and reported it to the local authorities.
That afternoon, Lee followed a group of men to the house of Carter Wilson. When Lee told the men he was going to inspect Hoyt Evans' coupe. Lindsey replied, “We’ll see about that.” Lee retorted. “No one’s afraid.” And began searching the car. Cape’s last words were uttered.
Lindsey shot 65-year-old Lee in the head and then twice more after he fell. He loaded Lee in the back of Hoyt’s car and drove his lifeless body some 40 miles away on an rarely used road a few miles from Adairsville. Lindsey was gone most of the night disposing of the body before returning home.
Lee’s naked and decapitated body was discovered two days later by Rex Sherman, while hunting rabbits. Lee’s head was found 300 yards away on the opposite side of the street.
The Funeral
On September 20th, William Lee Cape’s funeral in Hinton was the largest ever attended in the history of Pickens County. His casket was open so onlookers could see his body, although his head was covered. Sheriffs from Bartow, Gordon, and Cobb counties were present as were many other law enforcement personnel, friends, and family. Colonel Sam Tate spoke in praise of the illustrious lawman, proclaiming Lee to be “one of the staunchest enforcers of the law his county ever had.”
The Epitaph on Lee's tombstone reads,
THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF LAW HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE
The Trials
Six people were wanted in connection with the murder. Lindsey Evans, Walter Gradon “Grady” Evans, Hoyt Evans, Mrs. Evans, Carter Wilson, and C.L. Smith. There were several trials in Pickens County. Hoyt and C.L. Smith got sentenced to life in prison. Walter Evans was found not to have been involved. The other two men were sentenced to being an accessory to murder and served a year on the chain gang.
The Aftermath
Hoyt Evans escaped from prison and made his way to Arkansas before being caught and sent back. He was pardoned in 1941.
Lindsey W. Evans was never caught and by the 1940’s it was assumed he was dead.
Lindsey disappears from census data and all other government records after 1920.
Two years before Lee Cape’s murder, Lindsey had a child with Alice Chambers. The record of their marriage has been lost although Alice’s 1930 census form shows her as being married and living with her five-year-old son Hicks Milton Evans.
Alice and Hoyt remained in Fairmount after the departure of her husband, and her 1940 census shows her marital status as widowed.
NOTE: In searching through Hoyt’s records, a Social Security Claim he filed as an adult names Lindsey William Evans as his father.
Mystery Man
Meanwhile, in 1930, in California’s San Bernadino County, a man named Lewis Milton Coleman appeared out of nowhere. There are very few records that belong to Lewis M. Coleman, and none of them exist before 1930. Coleman’s census records start right where Lindsay William Evans' records stop. Lindsey’s last census record was the census of 1920.
He worked at a service station in Devore where he stabbed someone. Later he began working for the Santa Fe Railroad as a boiler repairman.
Another Clue
Coleman’s Social Security number was 708-09-7116, a number issued only to railroad workers between 1936 and 1951. His social was not issued in Georgia. It was issued by the Santa Fe Railroad where he was employed.
Lindsey William Evans Revealed
On Hicks M. Evans’ Find a Grave profile, Lewis M. Coleman is listed as his father. Lewis Milton Coleman.
The Lewis Milton choice of names was inspired from Lindsey William Evans’ father’s name, Milton Lewis Evans. He merely reversed the middle and first name of his father.
Lindsey, under the alias of Lewis M. Coleman, lived out the rest of his days in California, got married and had two children, a boy and girl.
Lindsey William Evans was born on May 1, 1899
Lewis Milton Coleman was born on May 1, 1903
They died together on October 10, 1982
Note: Lewis M. Coleman made the news in San Bernadino in 1933 for stabbing Frank E. Medock of Glen Helen, CA at Coleman’s Service station in Devore, CA.
C.L. "Seal" Smith a.k.a. Carter Lee Smith Revealed (Click here to read more)
Note: In an odd twist of events, William Lee Cape and the son of his murderer, Hicks Milton Evans, share the same June 5th birthday.
Enjoyed the update to the original true crime posting. Well written & very interesting!
I am a little embarrassed to admit however Walter Evans was my grandfather and Hoyt Evans was my great uncle as well as Lindsey. There were always varying details of this story handed down from family members whenever they would speak about it. Family gossip was that Lindsey went to Texas then to California. These details you have written helps understand more of the crime. It’s very informative. If you have additional photos, please share. Thank you!