Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Document 82
Papers as President: Official File
"This Business of Lynching"Bulletin No. 4
Prevented Lynchrns 55.Lynchings . . . . 1 .+
(1934)
JESSIE DANIEL AMESDInscTR
Association of Southern Womenfor the Prevention of Lynching
January, 1935
176
Association of Southern Women
for the Prevention of Lynching
A Declaration"We declare lynching is an indefensible crime
destructive of all principles of government, hatefuland hostile to every ideal of religion and humanity,debasing and degrading to every person involved.Though lynchings are not confined to any one sec-tion of the United States, we are aroused by therecord which discloses our heavy responsibility forthe presence of this crime in our country. We be-lieve that this record has been achieved becausepublic opinion has accepted too easily the claim oflynchers and mobsters that they were acting solelyin the defense of womanhood. In the light of facts,this claim can no longer be used as a protection tothose who lynch. We pledge ourselves to create anew public opinion in the South which will not con-done for any reason whatever acts of mobs orlynchers,--Association of Southern Women for thePrevention of Lynching.
V
Resolution"We reaffirm our condemnation of lynching for
any reason whatsoever. We declare as our deliberateconclusion that the crime of lynching is a logicalresult in every community that pursues the policyof humiliation and degradation of a part of its citi-zenship because of accident of birth; that exploitsand intimidates a weaker element in its populationfor economic gain; that refuses equal educationalopportunity to one portion of its children; that se-gregates arbitrarily a whole race in unsanitary,ugly sections; that permits the lawless element ofboth races to congregate in these segregated areaswith little fear of molestation by the law; andfinally denies a voice in the control of governmentto any fit and proper citizen because of race. Weregard with favor any legal measure that promisessure and permanent eradication of lynching. At-lanta, Ga., January 9, 1934.
2
177
z
CO
0
C
3
178
20
a
0
bo
314
bC
o4 2
4-J
-4 V-4O-
~d
C o
t d
h C
CC
0 C~
Of) '
uy -
In
4.1 Ca
We
Alleged OffensesPrevented Lynchings and Lynchings 1934
30 Murder Rape Othnes
Lynchings 14
20 |_l|||Prevented Lynchings 55
10 _
0 _ _ _ _
74% of all persons saved from death at the hands oflynchers were accused of crimes carrying the deathsentence.
Whereas
78.4 % of all those put to death by lynchers wereaccused of offenses carrying no death sentence.
"When a sheriff, standing at the door of his jail,defies the mob demanding the surrender of a prison-er, and kills or is killed in resisting the mob, he isnot 'defending' the prisoner. He may believe theprisoner to be guilty and deserving death. He mayeven contemplate with satisfaction seeing thatprisoner hanging at the end of a rope-if he so hangsby due process of law. But at the moment thesheriff represents the Law; at the moment he is thecustodian of the symbol of government. He em-bodies that majesty which a civilized, self-governingpeople hold for themselves and have delegated him,as their official agent, to maintain, sustain, defend.And the mob is attempting to tear from him thattrust; the mob, spurning government and organizedsociety is, in effect, in violent revolution."-TheState: Columbia, South Carolina, December 28,1934.
4
179
Lynchings for alleged assaults on white women
make the front pages of newspapers. The most in-different women and men living in cross-roads com-munities read about the Marianna lynching of 1934.The horrible details of this crime supported theclaims that lynching is necessary for the protectionof women and that white men never lynch exceptfor this reason. Few women, and not so many men,see the reports of the "quiet, deliberate, and order-ly" lynchings which are buried among the stockmarket reports, if they appear in the great dailies atall. So strong is this conviction that lynching is theonly method of protecting white women that theybelieve an alleged attempted assault must be dealtwith in the same manner. The accusation that anattempted assault is an offense which makes neces-sary a lynching provides absolute immunity frominvestigation by officers to the men who have takenthe law into their hands.
Causes of lynchings in 1934 lend support to agrowing conviction that men lynch most frequentlywhen they feel that the offense threatens white su-premacy, but does not involve a crime for which thecourts can assess the death penalty. This convictionis further supported by a study of the alleged of-fenses committed by those who were saved fromlynching. Officers were less inclined to uphold thelaw when their prisoners had offended that intan-gible something called "racial superiority."
OF THE FIFTY-FIVE PREVENTED LYNCHINGS:
All were in the hands of the law.
OF THE OFFENSES:
One was innocent of any offense.One was accused of a crime carrying a jail sentence
or fine.
Thirteen were accused of crimes carrying prisonsentence.
Forty were accused of crimes carrying the deathsentence.
OF THE FOURTEEN LYNCHINGS:Eight were taken from officers.
Six were not in the hands of the law.
OF THE OFFENSES:
Three were not charged with any offense.
Three were charged with offenses carrying finesor jail sentences.
Five were charged with offenses carrying prisonsentences.
Three were accused of crimes carrying deathsentence.
5
180
Lynchings and PreventedLynchings-1934
All communities except Birmingham and Man-chester, Tennessee, in which lynchings were com-mitted this year were visited personally either bysome member of the Association of Southern Womenfor the Prevention of Lynching or by a representa-tive of the Southern Commission on the Study ofLynching.
Alabama.Lynchings-1.
Birmingham, Jefferson County, August 23-Attempted hold-up of three women by anunidentified Negro man. Shot and laterdied in hospital. Officers not present.
Three women crossing a park on the wayto church were held up by a Negro. Two ojthem were thrown as they scuffled to get hold ofthe gun. One ran about a block to a tent meet-ing to give the alarm. Men hurried from thetent and began chasing a Negro who almostmade his escape because of darkness. He wascornered in an allev and shot. He died in thehospital next day without regaining conscious-ness. A/l three women identified him. "Policehave not decided who fired the fatal shot."-Atlanta Journal.
Prevented Lynchings-4.Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, April 24-One
Negro charged with attempted rape, removedfrom county for protection.
Birmingham, Jefferson County, April 25-OneIndian charged with attempted rape, removedfrom county prison for protection.
Columbia, Houston County, August 25-OneNegro, charged with murder, removed fromcounty for protection.
Fort Deposit, Lowndes County, December 26-One Negro charged with shooting two whitemen, prisoner removed from county.
Arkansas.Lynchings-None.Prevented Lynchings-4.
Stuttgart, Arkansas County, June 21-OneNegro charged with rape taken out of countyfor protection.
Blytheville, Mississippi County, July 17-TwoNegroes charged with murder, held in county,protected by increasing number of guards.
Osceola, Mississippi County, July 17-OneNegro charged with murder, taken fromcounty for protection.
6
181
Hot Springs, Garland County, October 21-One Negro charged with murder, taken fromcounty for protection.
Florida.Lynchings-2.
Tampa, Hillsborough County, January 24-Robert Johnson, Negro, under arrest forstealing chickens-Shot to death.
Johnson, suspected of guilt in connectionwith rape on a young white woman was ques-tioned by officers and released on insufficientevidence. He had confessed to stealing chickenssome time before. On this charge he was arrestedand held. T. M. Graves, Deputy Constable,came at 2:15 A. M. to remove Johnson from thecity to the county jail. He was overpowered by amob in cars, his own car captured, and he, with
Johnson, were driven about six miles fromTampa, where Johnson was shot down with fivebullets from one gun belonging to the offcer,Graves. Governor Scholtz ordered an investiga-tion. Several months later the investigators haanot decided WHO KILLED ROBERT JOHNSON.
Marianna, Jackson County, October 26-Claude Neal, Negro, accused of rape andmurder. Tortured to death by small group ofmen, later hanged on Marianna Court Houselawn. Taken from officers.
A young farm girl was found murdered anareported raped. Claude Neal living near by wascaught and taken to the jail at Marianna. Pur-sued by a mob, he was removed to Chipley andthen to Panama City. He was put on a boatand taken to Pensacola, and was later moved toBrewton, Alabama. From Brewton he wastaken by a mob into Florida to a hiddenplace on the Chipola River. Twenty-four hoursbefore the lynching it was common knowledgethat he was to be lynched. Dothan, Alabama,broadcast the information and newspapers an-nounced it. Governor Scholtz urged to interveneby citizens of Florida offered help, but JacksonCounty officers said they did not need help.The Negro's body, horribly mutilated, wasstrung up on the Jackson County Court Houselawn. A riot of mobsters, the next day, "prettywell likkered up", according to the Mayor ofMarianna, tried to run all Negroes off theirjobs. Troops were called to restore order andprotect property. The Mayor said that he "re-gretted the necessity for the lynching." SheriffChambliss of Jackson County was exoneratedin this lynching.
7
182
Prevented Lynchings-2.
Jacksonville, Duval County, March.-A Negrocharged with murder. Guards were augment-ed to protect the prisoner from violence.
Chipley, Washington County, October 10-Two Negro women charged with murder.They were moved from the county for safe-keeping.
Georgia.Lynchings---None.
Tuskegee Institute reports one lynching. Thefacts are: Curtis James, a Negro, at Darien,McIntosh County was attacked by fourteenmen, twelve white, two Negroes, all masked.Both James and the gang attacking him weresaid to be bootleggers of turpentine. Jameswas believed murdered, but no body or evi-dence of death was found. Proof of death isrequired in all cases involving murder, andseveral weeks before, a Negro reportedlynched at Ways Station, Georgia, was found,tried, and sentenced to the chain gang.
Prevented Lynchings-9.Mount Vernon, Montgomery County, January
2-A Negro, accused of murder was moved toanother county for safe-keeping.
Sandersville, Washington County, June 10-One Negro accused of murder was moved toanother county for safe-keeping.
Douglasville, Douglas County, June 27-TwoNegroes accused of murder were moved toanother county for safe-keeping.
Newnan, Coweta County, July 9-One Negro,accused of murder, was moved to anothercounty for safe-keeping.
Greensboro, Green County, August 21-OneNegro accused of seriously wounding a womanwith a rock, was moved to another county forsafe-keeping.
Bryan County, August 30-One Negro accusedof rape, was moved to another county forsafe-keeping.
Arp, Irwin County, September 8--One whiteman accused of rape, moved to anothercounty for safe-keeping.
Rome, Floyd County, October 20-One Negroaccused of wounding woman with knife,moved to another county for safe-keeping.
Ellaville, Schley County, December 25-OneNegro accused of killing officer, moved toanother county for safe-keeping.
8
183
Kentucky.Lynchings-.
Hazard, Perry County, January 24-Rex Scott,Negro, accused of striking a white man; takenfrom officers-Hanged and shot.
Rex Scott, in jail for striking a white coalminer was taken by a mob of coal miners fromKnott County, carried to a place opposite agrave yard, hanged and his body riddled withbullets. The stricken white man died sometimeafter the lynching. The sheriff was removed
from office under a Kentucky law pending in-vestigation, but it is reported later reinstated.Three men, Petie Carroll, 38; Lee Gibson, 37;Andy Workman, 30, were arrested on murderwarrants, and fames Collins, 32, was held onorder of County Judge A. M. Gross. No onewas punished.
Prevented Lynchings-2.Glasgow, Barren County, July 24-One Negro
charged with rape was protected by officersfrom lynching by the use of force.
Paducah, McCracken County, August 21-OneNegro accused of attempted rape was movedto another county for safe-keeping.
Louisiana.Lynchings-2.
Bastrop, Morehouse Parish, July 9-AndrewMcLeod, Negro, accused of attempted rape,taken from jail, hanged and throat cut.
THE CAUSE
Early Sunday morning, July 8, a youngwhite woman was walking on the highway fromJones, Louisiana, looking for someone to helpin moving the car of her escort out of a ditch intowhich it had gone because its driver was toodrunk to hold it on the road. She met a Negroman and asked where she could get help. Shereported that the Negro said something insultingthen grabbed her and pulled her of the road andacross a ditch to a barbed wire fence. The lightsof an approaching car caused him to drop herand run. While he was dragging her she said hehad his forearm across her mouth as he held herhead. She bit his arm in her eforts to get away.
THE CAPTURE.
Sheriff Carpenter is credited locally with beinga good detective. It was stated that he saidNegroes always return to the scene of a frus-trated crime of this nature. So in the morning,Sunday, it was reported he drove out to the placewhere the assault was attempted, parked his caron the side of the road, and went into a corn
9
184
field to watch. The story goes that in time aNegro came along, stopped beside the emptycar, examined it and then looked around at theroad and ditch. After the Negro left, the sheriffcame out of hiding and got in his car. He over-took the Negro and took him into town.
IDENTIFICATION.
The Negro, Andrew McLeod, gave an unsat-isfactory explanation of his time about the hourof the attack. Also it was reported that grassand dew stains were found on his white trousers.These together with the fact that he had comealong and stopped by the car constituted in-criminating evidence. After the lynching therumor was circulated that there were the marksof teeth on his arm.
LYNCHING.
On Monday about three o'clock, people re-ported to be from Jones began to congregate onthe edge of town. At seven they were organized,and started a march on the jail. With a railroadtie and a telephone pole, the jail door was forcedopen. Only the District Attorney tried to stopthem and he only with words. The county andcity officers were no where around. One whitewoman, urged to go home because they weregoing to lynch a Negro is reported to have said,"No, I won't go. I am going to stand right hereand see it all. It could have been my daughteror it could have been me."
After getting the Negro, the mob took him tothe court-house to the West side where the treeswere large enough to provide a gallows. A carwas run under the lowest limb, the Negro wasmade to stand on the top of the car while thenoose was fastened. The first rope broke, drop-ping the Negro to the ground. Someone in themob ran out with a knife and slashed theNegro's throat. The second rope was fastenedto the neck. the Negro pulled up, and at nine-
fifteen "he was cut down being declared dead byhanging and a cut throat."-Newspaper re-port.
Bastrop, Sept. 24-Following a thoroughinvestigation of the recent lynching of a Negrocharged with attempted criminal assault on awhite girl, which took place on the courthouselawn in Bastrop last Yuly, the Morehouseparish grand jury today returned no indict-ments after questioning a score of witnesses.---Shreveport Times, September 24, 1934.
The body was taken to the local undertakerand by nine-thirty when the sheriff returned,the mob was gone and everything was quiet.
10
185
Bethany, Caddo Parish, August 3-One Negro,Grafton Page, suspected of an attack uponNegro girl, flogged to death by members ofown race. Not taken from officers of the law.(This lynching is of unusual interest becausethe press carried the story that Negroes hadcommitted it).
When Sherif Hughes was notified that aNegro had been lynched at Bethany, he and thecoroner, Dr. Butler, went out immediately toinvestigate. There was some fear that the act
grew out of the death of a white man who haddied of an alcoholic heart at the house of aNegro during the summer. Though indigna-tion at that time was great, no violence had beencommitted by white people against the personor property of Negroes.
When the officers reached Bethany, Page wasdead, but they found that it was not Page'shouse in which the white man had died. Therewere only Negroes near the body and though allof them were questioned at the inquest, nonecould or would tell what had happened. Pagehad been tied to a tree by his hands and flogged.Whether he died during the flogging or after hewas released, could not be determined.
The Negro woman around whom the troublewas said to arise, denied that Page had thrownher out the truck. When the truck had swervedinto a ditch to avoid a collision, she was flungon her head, knocked unconscious, and knewnothing more until after it had all happened.She did not know how she got to the house offames Hubbard, a blind Negro man. JamesHubbard said that fighting began at his house.He was blind and could see nothing, but heknew only Negroes were in the fight. They lefthis house fighting and went toward the Negro,Page's home. He heard the screams but knewnothing more.
Four Negro women told the story that theysaw the fighting; that only Negroes were pres-ent; they did not go down into the woods be-.cause they were afraid; they heard the screams.They had seen only Negroes but they couldn'tsay who these Negroes were because they weretoo far away.
A white woman, living in sight of the Pagehouse, said she saw only Negroes about theplace. She heard the screams and the noise,but did not pay any attenction since the Negroesfought a great deal and she supposed it was thesame story of liquor and fighting.
One officer expressed the opinion, but it wasmerely an opinion, he said, that the Negroes
11
186
were not telling all they knew. They were hold-ing back something. He did not believe that thejob was done by Negroes alone. He had beenthere for years and it was the first time that acrime of this kind had been reported as done en-tirely by Negroes. It was not a Negro crime.When Negroes get mad and get into a fight, hesaid, they use knives, razors, ice picks, andfight madly. This deliberate taking a Negroand tying him up and beating him to death wasnot an act that could be called Negro. He didnot believe that whoever killed the Negro meantto go that far. When white people want to getrid of a Negro they shoot or kill him outright.Consequently, he believed that what was intendedwas merely a severe punishment.
Prevented Lynchings-2.Shreveport, Caddo Parish, April 17-One white
man accused of murdering a young white girlwas protected from lynching by increasingguards.
Monroe, Ouachita Parish, August 30-OneNegro accused of attacking and robbing aman was moved to another jail.
Mississippi.Lynchings-6.
Lambert, Bolivar County, June 8-Two Ne-groes, Joe Love and Isaac Thomas, accused ofattempted rape were taken from officers andhanged.
CONFLICTING REPORTS ONCAUSE OF LYNCHING:
NewspaperTwo men entered the
house after dark, andseized the woman. Herscreams attracted herhusband and anotherwhite man in the house,both of whom rushed toher aid.
The bodies founddangling from thebridge only a fewinches from bottom offthe dry bayou course.Thomas had his earcut of, but there was noother mutilation.
12
OfficialTwo Negroes ap-
proached the house atdusk and asked formatches. When thewoman brought them tothe door she was seizedand dragged into theyard. One noticed theapproach of her hus-band and they both fled.
The bodies were foundten feet apart at mid-night. Could not ex-amine them personallyon account of the waterunder the bridge, but by
flashlight saw that onehad lost an ear.
187
Though the bodies were found about mid-night, they were still hanging from the bridgeat 9:45 that morning.
INVESTIGATION:
The time element is a factor in consideringthe thoroughness of
Newspaper
A sweeping investi-gation will be made byD i s t r i c t Attorneythough the case appear-ed closed since the offi-cers could not identifyone of the lynchers.-Daily Register,Clarksdale, June 9.
the investigation.
OfficialThe county officers notbeing able to identifyany of the mob the casewas declared closed; thetwo column official re-port to the Governor waswritten and filed in timeto make the afternoonedition of the ClarksdaleDaily Register whichwent to press at noon ofJune 9, two hours andfifteen minutes after thebodies were reported stillhanging.
Then as to the sheriff-why did he go withhis prisoners back into the Delta where he hadbeen told a mob was forming to take andlynch them?
The Executive Committee of the Missis-sippi Council of Women for the Preventionof Lynching protested this lynching andasked that the case be reopened because theDistrict Attorney had completed his reportwithin two hours after the bodies were cutdown.
Bolton, Hinds County, July 16-James Sand-ers, a Negro, was shot for writing an indecentletter to a white girl. Not taken fromofficers.
Two Negro men, James Sanders and JohnHenry Williams, kept company with PinkeyBurns, a Negro woman. James Sanders wrotea letter to a young white girl and signed JohnHenry Williams' name. White people gen-erally thought that James Sanders conceived theidea of writing the letter and signing the otherNegro's name, believing that naturally the peo-ple would be indignant and lynch John HenryWilliams. In this way his rival, John HenryWilliams would have been disposed of, and he,James Sanders, would have had right of waywith Pinkey Burns, the Negro woman. Whenthe letter was turned over to the sheriff he com-pared the handwriting with that of Sanders.Later Sanders confessed he wrote the letter.
Three men, father, uncle, and cousin of thewhite girl to whom the letter was written, made
13
188
the following sworn statement in court: Afterdriving the Negro out a certain distance fromtown, they stopped the car. "The Negro grabbedthe pistolfrom the pocket of the father of the girland began shooting, so they had to shoot theNegro in self defense." The District Attorney"was present at the trial and recommended thatthe case be dismissed." A business man said,"It was something that just had to be done."(This is evidence that there was no consciencein regard to the matter).
Pelahatchie, Rankin County, July 25-HenryBedford, Negro, was flogged to death forspeaking disrespectfully to a young whiteman. Not taken from officers.
A land owner named Cawthorn had rented asmall place to Henry Bedford, an old Negro.Benny Cawthorn, his son, charged that theNegro had talked disrespec fully when they dis-puted over a rental agreement. Four white men,Alec Murray, John Scales, Benny Cawthorn,of Pelahatchie, and M. M. Dodson of Shilo,took the old Negro to a secluded spot about threeor four miles from town and whipped him witha leather strap. The sheriff was notified byBenny Cawthorn, one of the men who had par-ticipated in the tragedy, a few hours after it oc-curred. The Sheriff and Benny Cawthorn tookthe Negro to town and gave him medical treat-ment. The Negro died the following night. Thefour white men were arrested immediately.They were given trial in the city court but re-leased several days later on bond to await themeeting of Grand Jury which convenes secondMonday in January.
Michigan City, Benton County, August 13-Two Negroes, Robert Jones and Smith Houeywere taken from officers by a mob and hanged.
"Ashland, Miss., Aug. 13 (AP)-Mobssnatched two Negroes from the hands of deputysheriffs in Benton County today and hangedthem from a tree near Michigan City. The vic-tims were Robert Jones and Smith Houey, whowere being brought here for trial for the murderof Connis Gillespie more than a year ago.
The mobs were masked, and deputies saidthey did not recognize any of the men. SheriffHudspeth said he was going to do his 'best tofind the guilty parties,' and District AttorneyFred Belk promised a 'rigid investigation'."-Atlanta Constitution, September 14, 1934.
Prevented Lynchings-5.Hernando, DeSoto County, February 11-
14
189
Three Negroes accused of rape. Force wasused to save prisoner from lynching.
Columbus, Lowndes County, March 5-OneNegro accused of murder was removed fromcounty to prevent lynching.
Meridian, Lauderdale County, April 3-ThreeNegroes accused of murder were protected byforce.
Jackson, Hinds County, July 30-One Negroaccused of making improper proposal overthe telephone was removed from county toprevent lynching.
Tripp Crossing, Hinds County, August 25-One Negro accused of attempted rape onsixty-year old Negro woman was removedfrom county for protection.
Missouri.Lynchings---None.Prevented Lynchings-1.
New Madrid, October 14-Three Negroes ac-cused of murder were removed from countyfor protection.
North Carolina.Lynchings-None.Prevented Lynchings-3.
Greenville, Pitt County, January 9-One Negroaccused of rape, removed from county forprotection.
Bailey, Lauderdale County, July 15-OneNegro accused of murder was removed toprevent lynching.
Thomasville, Rankin County, November 1-One Negro accused of rape was removed fromcounty for protection.
Oklahoma.Lynchings-None.Prevented Lynchings-None.
South Carolina.Lynchings-None.Prevented Lynchings-4.
Greenville, Greenville County, May 18-OneNegro accused of rape was removed for pro-tection from lynching.
Florence, Florence County, October 25-OneNegro accused of rape was removed fromcounty for protection.
Darlington, Darlington County, November 21
15
190
-One Negro accused of murder was removedto prevent lynching.
Greenville, Greenville County, December 27-One Negro accused of murder was removedfor protection.
Tennessee.Lynchings-1.
Manchester, Coffee County, June 24-A Negro,Richard Wilkerson, was ambushed and shotfor striking a white man. Not in the handsof the law.
A party of white men went to a Negro dance.They had some trouble with Wilkerson in regardto their conduct, reports say, toward a Negrogirl. Wilkerson struck one of them. On his wayhome after the dance, Wilkerson was ambushedby eight white men, shot, stripped of his cloth-ing, and beaten on the head with an axe.
These eight white men were convicted of man-slaughter and sentenced in September. Five ofthem, Elijah Keele, Edmond Keele, John B.Henley, Leonard Warren, and Wilbur Sher-rill, were sentenced to two years; the other three,Willard Keele, Lewis Garner, and John B.Gibson, drew five years. They were chargedwith the murder of Dick Lou Wilkerson. Themen began service of their sentence about Sep-tember 20 and had been held in jail without bailfrom July 26 until the day of trial.
Prevented Lynchings-6.
McKenzie, Carroll County, April 24-OneNegro accused of murder was removed fromjail for protection.
Dyersburg, Dyer County, June 6-Two whitesaccused of rape were removed from county toprevent lynching.
Pikeville, Bledsoe County, July 24-One Negroaccused of murder was removed from countyfor protection.
Donelson, Davidson County, August 1-OneNegro, accused of beating white woman,later found innocent, was removed fromcounty to prevent lynching.
Shelbyville, Bedford County, November 19-One Negro accused of attempted rape. Forcewas used, and prisoner later removed fromcounty to prevent lynching. See daily papersof November 19, et. al. and "Time" newsmagazine of December 31.
16
191
Texas.Lynchings-1.
Newton, Newton County, June 21-A Negro,Sonny Griggs, hanged for associating withwhite girl.
CAUSES LEADING TO THE LYNCHING:
On June 19, Emancipation Day in Texas, ayoung white man about twenty-five was said tohave taken a white girl about eighteen, to theNegro celebration. While there he got her drunkand took her, in the afternoon to the house of aNegro man, John (Son) Griggs. As the girlwas entering the house with the white man, apasser-by saw them and reported to the Sherif,Pete Hughes. Because there was a mulatto girl,Lena, in town who was almost white, thesheriff thought the man might be mistaken. Heasked the doctor who, a few days before haddressed a cut on Grigg's arm, to go with him tothe Negro's house, ostensibly to look at thedressings. If the doctor found it was a whitegirl, he would give a certain sign to the sheriffwho would be waiting outside at the gate.
When the doctor went into the house, hefound that a white girl, and not Lena, wasthere. He gave the sign to the sheriff who camein and together they took the girl back to townfor questioning. Later the sheriff sent his depu-ty, Smith, back to the house for the Negro whomhe found on the porch. The Negro had madeno attempt to escape. He was taken back totown and lodged in jail on a charge of vagrancy.The white man was found and held for ques-tioning,
THE LYNCHING.
Late in the afternoon of the second day, June20, word got out about the affair. At six o'clock,there had been some few who had said the Negroshould be lynched, and again at ten-thirty thatnight. Sometime after ten-thirty the Negro wastaken from the jail by two deputies, Davidsonand Smith, presumably for removal to theOrange County jail for safe-keeping. Theywere overwhelmed by a mob of about two hun-dred just where the Kirby ville road turns intothe Orange road. The Negro was taken, and atthe spot where Trout Creek empties into CowCreek, he was lynched. At two in the morningof June 21, the body was found with a ropearound the neck near the box factory.
Page was an unmarried man who had cometo Newton with the box factory. He was unsocialwith his own race. Though he held one "of thefew good paying jobs in the box factory", he
17
192
was arrested on a charge of vagrancy. The offi-cers reported that he was a "bad" Negro becausehe was "sullen and impudent" to white peopleand because he had said to a deputy sheriff that"he was as good as any white man or womaneither." He had been arrested once or twice formisdemeanors and for "resisting."
The Grand Jury in September investigatedbut returned no indictment.
How did the white girl get to the Negro'shouse?
Why was not Page taken at the time thegirl was taken?
Why was the white man released?Why was Page lynched?
Lynchings Prevented-3.Angleton, Brazoria County, January 1-One
Negro accused of murder, was removed fromcounty for protection.
Tyler, Smith County, August 26-One whiteman charged with robbery and rape was re-moved from county to prevent lynching.
Beaumont, Jefferson County, October 10-OneNegro accused of murder, was protected fromlynching by force.
Virginia.Lynchings----None.
Prevented Lynchings-1.
Clifton Forge, Alleghany County, November 18-Three Negro men and one Negro womanaccused of rape and murder were removedfrom county to prevent lynching.
Other Parts of the Country:Prevented Lynchings:
California-i.Susanville, June 12-One white man accused
of murder. Guards were augmented to pre-vent lynching.
Colorado-1.
Colorado Springs, April 15-Five Negroesaccused of beating man and woman seatedin parked car. Prisoners were removed forprotection.
Illinois--2.Harrisburg, March 24-One Negro accused
of shooting and wounding man was re-moved to prevent lynching.
Kankukee, May 17-One Negro accused ofwounding three men in altercation. Guardswere augmented to prevent lynching.
18
193
Indiana-1.Bloomington, August 4-Four white men ac-
cused of murder were removed for protec-tion against lynching.
Maryland-3.
Marion Station, January 7-One Negro ac-cused of murder was removed for protec-tion.
Krisfield, April 20-One Negro accused ofseriously wounding a man. Guards wereaugmented to prevent lynching.
Ruckville, December 17-One Negro accusedof rape. Guards augmented to preventlynching.
Ohio-1.East Alliance, July 20-One Negro accused
of rape was removed to prevent lynching.
Wisconsin-1.
Junneau, March-Three white men accusedof murder were removed from county forprotection.
V
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN WOMENFOR THE PREVENTION OF LYNCHING
IState Counties Towns Women Men Offcers
Alabama -- _-_-55 165 1,003 26Arkansas.-- _-_ 29 51 592 53 3Florida- _ _ _ _ _ -_ 48 121 1,080 74 4Georgia ------ 145 317 3,073 115 13Kentucky ...- 79 156 1,737 65 24Louisiana----- -49 106 638 34 131Mississippi-.... 81 247 2,867 282 44Missouri------ 28 58 323 2North Carolina 93 312 3,118 39 4Oklahoma . _ _ 37 82 563 23 1South Carolina 45 182 1,679 20 6Tennessee - - 68 172 1,960 38 15Texas-------- -195 576 4,262 41 38Virginia- - - _ _ 39 53 336 6West Virginia _ 27 57 400 11
Total 1934__....Total 1933.... -
1,018 2,655 23,631 829 283918 2,252 17,051 647
INCREASE _ 100 403 6,580 182 283
19
194
Objectives of the Association of South-ern Women for the Prevention ofLynching-1935
1. To enlist ten thousand men and women in thiswork.
2. To give immediate publicity to causes behindevery lynching.
3. To secure the signature of every sheriff in theSouth through personal calls by local con-stituents.
4. To work to create an enlightened publicopinion that will refuse to accept any defenseof lynching.
MethodsTAKE every opportunity to present the work;MAKE other opportunities to present the work.
1. Secure endorsement from state, sectional, andnational conventions and conferences of menand women, and obtain signatures of dele-gates. If endorsements have already beenmade, continue to present a speaker on theformal program for educational purposes.Keep the program against lynching alive inevery organization of the South.
2. Every lynching in the South in 1935 will beinvestigated either by a specially ap-pointed person or by a committee fromthe Council of Southern Women for thePrevention of Lynching. The informa-tion thus obtained will be sent to:
a. The Chairman of the State Council in theState in which the lynching takes place,who will send a copy to every officer ofthe law, court official, and legislative rep-resentative of the county and district inwhich the lynching is committed; and toevery editor in the State.
b. Every member of the State Council of theState in which the lynching takes placewho should send a copy to all on the regu-lar mailing list of her organization withinthe State.
3. Reach every county in the South by delegat-ing to one missionary society at the coun-ty seat the responsibility for:
a. Interesting every organization, men andwomen, in the county in the campaignagainst lynching.
20
195
b. Securing signatures of officers and mem-bers of all organizations, religious, civic,and patriotic, in the town and county.Get signatures of men.
e. Securing signatures of county officials,preachers, and teachers.
4. A meeting of the Central Council of eachstate will be called at the State Capitolduring the spring of 1935:
a. To call on the Governor and State At-torney, and to discuss with them the lawas each understands in its application tolynchings.
b. To draft a detailed program of work forthat state during the year.
Organizations Committed to a Program
of Education to Prevent Lynching
Woman's Advisory Committee of the Presby-terian Church, U. S.
Southeast Regional Conference of the NationalFederation of Business and Professional Wo-men's Clubs.
Woman's Missionary Union of the Southern Bap-tist Convention.
Council of Women, Methodist Episcopal ChurchSouth.
National Council of Jewish Women.Southern Interstate Conference of the National
Council of Jewish Women.National Young Woman's Christian Association.
Executive Board of the Woman's Auxiliary to theNational Council of the Protestant EpiscopalChurch.
Woman's Auxiliary to the National Council in theProvince of Sewanee, Protestant EpiscopalChurch.
Fifty-first Triennial, General Convention of theProtestant Episcopal Church, 1934.
STATE'
AlabamaNorth Alabama Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.North Alabama Conference, M. E. C. S.Alabama Conference, Woman's Missionary So-
cieties, M. E. C. S.Woman's Auxiliary, Diocese of Alabama, Pro-
testant Episcopal Church.
21
196
Arkansas
Little Rock Conference, M. E. C. S.Arkansas Democratic Women's Clubs.Little Rock Conference, Woman's Missionary
Societies, M. E. C. S.North Arkansas Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.
FloridaFlorida Conference, Woman's Missionary So-
cieties, M. E. C. S.Woman's Auxiliary, Diocese of Florida, Pro-
testant Episcopal Church.
GeorgiaNorth Georgia Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.South Georgia Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.
Woman's Missionary Union, Georgia BaptistConvention.
North Georgia Conference, M. E. C. S.South Georgia Conference, M. E. C. S.
Kentucky
Louisville Conference, Woman's Missionary So-cieties, M. E. C. S.
Kentucky Conference, Woman's Missionary So-cieties, M. E. C. S,
LouisianaState Federation of Women's Clubs.
Louisiana Conference, Woman's Missionary So-cieties, M. E. C. S.
Woman's Missionary Union, State Baptist Con-vention.
State Association of Peace Officers, 1934.
MississippiNorth Mississippi Conference, Woman's Mis-
sionary Societies, M. E. C. S.South Mississippi Conference, Woman's Mis-
sionary Societies, M. E. C. S.
North CarolinaWoman's Missionary Union, North Carolina
Baptist Convention.North Carolina Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.Western North Carolina Conference, Woman's
Missionary Societies, M. E. C. S.
OklahomaOklahoma Conference, Woman's Missionary
Societies, M. E. C. S.
22
197
South CarolinaWoman's Missionary Union, South Carolina
Baptist Convention.South Carolina Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.State Federation of Women's Clubs.
TennesseeWoman's Missionary Union, Tennessee Baptist
Convention.Tennessee Conference, Woman's Missionary So-
cieties, M. E. C. S.
Texas
State Federation of Women's Clubs.North Texas Conference, Woman's Missionary
Societies, M. E. C. S.Texas Conference, Woman's Missionary So-
cieties, M. E. C. S.Central Texas Conference, Woman's Mission-
ary Societies, M. E. C. S.West Texas Conference, Woman's Missionary
Societies, M. E. C. S.Woman's Missionary Union, Texas Baptist
Convention.
Northwest Texas Conference, Woman's Mis-sionary Societies, M. E. C. S.
VirginiaVirginia Synodical, Presbyterian Church, U. S.Virginia Conference, Woman's Missionary So-
cieties, M. E. C. S.
23
198
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN WOMEN FOR THEPREVENTION OF LYNCHING
Central Council
REPRESENTATIVES AT LARGEMrs. Jessie Daniel Ames, Director Mrs. Attwood Martin, Chairman
Atlanta, Ga. Louisville. Ky.Mrs. Joseph Friend, Mrs. J. W. Mills,
New Orleans. La. Beaumont, TexasMrs. Harry Gershon, Miss Janie McGaughey,
Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.Miss Estelle Haskin, Mrs. W. A. Newell, Secretary
Nashville, Tenn. Salisbury, N. o.Mrs. Una Roberts Lawrence, Mrs. W. A. Turner,
Kansas City, Mo. Newnan, Ga.Mrs. S. M. N. Marrs, Mrs. W. . Winsborough,
Austin, Texas Shreveport. La.Miss Nannie Rite Winston,
Louisville. Ky.
AlabamaMrs. J. H. McCoy, Chairman
MontevalloMrs. B. H. Cooper, BirminghamMiss Molly Dowd. BirminghamMrs. Brevard Jones, MontgomeryMrs. W. F. Moore, VredenbergMrs. T. H. Tyson. ThomasvilleMrs. A. F. Wilson, Montgomery
ArkansasMrs. B. J. Reaves, Chairman
Little RockMrs. I. N. Barnett, BatesvilleMiss ErIe Chambers, Little RockMrs. Lillian McDermott,
Little RockMrs. John P.Streepey,Little RockMrs. Dave Terry, Little Rock
FloridaMrs. Wm. P. Cornell, Chairman
JacksonvilleMrs. Ruth Atkinson, TallahasseeMrs. Walter Jones. JacksonvilleMrs. I. L. Kaplan, JacksonvilleMrs.!0. O.McCollum, JacksonvilleMrs. I. O. Woodley, Mineola
GeorgiaMrs. W. J. Neel, Chairman
ForsythMrs. E. M. Bailey. AcworthMrs. Julian Harris, AtlantaMrs. Virlyn Moore, BoltonMrs. F. M. Mullino, MontezumaMrs. Emmett Quinn, AtlantaMrs. M. E. Tilly, AtlantaMrs. L. O. Turner, Decatur
KentuckyMrs. G. W. Hummel, Chairman
LouisvilleMrs. D. W. Griffin, Fort ThomasMrs. R. M. Pegram, LouisvilleMrs. W. J. Piggott, IrvingtonMiss Alma Schmitt, Louisville
LouisianaMrs. Ben Knox, Chairman
ShreveportMrs. W. E. Hinds. Baton RougeMrs. Robert W. Irvine,
New OrleansMrs. L. T. Owens, New OrleansMrs. George Sexton, Shreveport
MississippiMrs. L. W. Alford, Chairman
McCombMrs. A. J. Aven, ClintonMrs. T. D. Bratton, Jackson
MississippiMrs. W. W. Epperson, JacksonMrs Lester Greer, Potts CampMrs. J. Morgan Stevens, Jackson
North CarolinaMiss Clara I. Cox, Chairman
High PointMrs. Onilee R. Brown, WaxhawMrs. T. W. Bickett, RaleighMrs. C. L. Read, ZebulonMrs. Hattie Weinberg.
Greensboro
OklahomaMrs. J. D. Lawhorn, Chairman
HugoMrs. Walter Ferguson, TulsaMrs. R. F. Satterfield. El Reno
South CarolinaMrs. George E. Davis, Chairman
OrangeburgMrs. Mason Carroll, YorkMrs. J. H. Harvey, PinopolisMrs. O. P. McGowan, CharlestonMrs. Latimer Williams. Jr.,
ColumbiaMrs. B. F. Zimmerman,
Spartanburg
TennesseeMrs. P. B. Lowrance, Chairman
ChattanoogaMrs. 0. V. Biddle, KnoxvilleMrs. R. L. Harris, KnoxvilleMrs. Robert O'Neal, ClarksvilleMrs. Neal Spahr, KnoxvilleMrs. K. W. Warden, MemphisMiss Louise Young, Nashville
TexasMrs. John Hanna, Chairman
DallasMrs. J. L. Brock, BryanMrs. Olivia Bridges Davis,
DallasMrs. George Sprague, DallasMrs. Clinton S. Quin, Houston
VirginiaMrs. James A. Richardson,
Chairman. RichmondMiss Carrie Lee Campbell,
RichmondMrs. Henry S. Eley, SuffolkMiss M. Prescott Montague,
RichmondMrs. W. B. Newell, Richmond
West VirginiaMrs. Sherwood Funk, East Bank
24
199
CcO
M Co
c
0
c) o
fr'
cav -1
ONO4
OMG0x ) M c1 N QO c)44 O O
Cs
Cd CM
vC
1, ' .1d'1
ZC ChC
1 I II 1 I [ 1 I 1
I i 1 ! 1 1 I f I I I I 1
Co-
Cr a
CA 1A fr C0
E
<<Eo Co c 21LJ 2 Co 125
Co I 1 3 I 1Co ( 1 1 F 1CJo1 ~ Co 1 1 1 1 1
CoI bDi~~ I.Z Ca Co 1 0t1 O O~~ C- 7
C1 V Q~ C)C)C-Ca1 11 1{I < i F10 Q1 1 1H HItI i ! F ! 1 ! I I 25
OM - NM N- CM N N N-M -No
N
00000O OOO-
-- 1NON.-NO* O
O00ON000Vs
00-000oo-I"oCIA - .
7 1 1 1 2 22 22 2 2 ) 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 ) 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 22 1 22 2 2 22 2 2 2 2 22) 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 22 21 2 2 22 2 2 2 Co ! i 11 1 2 2 2 21 2 2 2 2 O 2
Co 2 2 r-xI 2 2
FC-CO 1 I ! 1 1 1 11- I t 1
1,
0:lcc
H(
Hqz
200
In November, 1930, a volunteer group ofSouthern women met in Atlanta, Georgia, toconsider the crime of lynching and study waysfor its eradication. They discussed many plansby which lynchings might be stopped, amongwhich was a Federal anti-lynching law. In theend, however, they decided that they wouldadopt that of
"Education of public opinion in the Southagainst lynching, beginning this educationwith an emphatic repudiation of the claimthat lynchings were necessary for the protec-tion of white women."
State, sectional, and national organizationsduring the four years following, endorsed theplan of education outlined by the women in1930 and made it their own. As a result of this,women of influence in these cooperating organi-zations were asked to form the Council of theAssociation of Southern Women for the Preven-tion of Lynching.
In 1934, women of the Council responsiblefor the program of the Association met again.Although they discussed each section of a Fed-eral anti-lynching bill then before Congress,they held to the original program of education,leaving political action for individual organiza-tions. They declared, however, that the Asso-ciation
"regards with favor any legal measure thatpromises sure and permanent eradication oflynching."
In 1935 the Council of the Association ofSouthern Women for the Prevention of Lynch-ing held its annual conference in Atlanta, at-tended by members at large from eight nationaland sectional organizations, Chairmen andproxy Chairmen from twelve Southern states,and thirteen members of six State Councils.Again they decided to continue their programof education:
"We believe that we should intensify ouroriginal program of education and enlighten-ment for the formation of right public opin-ion, which will be the creative force forchanging the conditions out of whichlynchings arise."
26
201
