A Letter Demands Justice for Jesse James Payne
1945 — An October 14 letter demanded accountability for the killing of Jesse James Payne in Madison County.
By Wm. E. McMullen II
A Letter Arrives After a Killing
On October 14, 1945, an anonymous writer addressed Florida Governor Millard Caldwell concerning the killing of Jesse James Payne, a Black agricultural laborer, in Madison County. The State Archives of Florida preserves the letter in the governor's records. Its date makes the correspondence an important October 14 historical document, although Payne himself was killed three days earlier, on October 11.
From a Labor Dispute to a Manhunt
According to the State Archives' account, Payne had earlier disagreed with landowner Daniel Levy Goodman. Goodman and his sons abducted Payne from a friend's home, but Payne escaped. Goodman subsequently accused Payne of sexually assaulting his young daughter. That accusation prompted a search involving law-enforcement officers and an armed mob. The accusation must be identified as Goodman's claim, not presented as an established fact.
Demands for Accountability
Sheriff Lonnie Turner Davis apprehended Payne and initially placed him in the state prison at Raiford because of the danger of mob violence. Payne was later returned to Madison County for trial. Shortly after his arraignment, he was taken from the county jail and shot to death. The October 14 letter urged Governor Caldwell to suspend Sheriff Davis and seek justice. Florida Memory states that Davis remained sheriff and no one was held responsible for Payne's murder.
Florida in the Shadow of World War II
The correspondence was written only weeks after the end of World War II. Americans had celebrated victory overseas, yet racial terror and unequal protection under law persisted at home. The surviving letters show people pressing state government to uphold the rule of law in a case where it had failed to protect a man in custody.
Why October 14 Matters
October 14 is the date of the surviving protest letter, not the date of Payne's death. That distinction helps us tell the story precisely. The documents preserve the victim's name, the public demand for accountability, and the failure to secure justice. Remembering Jesse James Payne requires all three.