Saturday, May 16, 2015

May 16, 1882: Joseph E. Jenkins and Eugene Azar

Today we learn about a double lynching in Louisiana through the pages of The Holton Recorder (Holton, Kansas dated May 25, 1882:

JOSEPH E. JENKINS, who murdered his brother-in-law, Castile, was taken from jail at St. Martinsville, La., the other day, by a mob of some 200 persons, who dragged him to the scene of the murder and lynched him. On their way they seized Azar (colored), who was out on bond, charged with killing a young man, and hanged him on the same tree. Great excitement prevailed, and the Governor offered a reward of $2,000 for the arrest and conviction of any person or persons engaged in the lynching.


Our next article is found under a column titled Crime Chapter in The Weekly Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) dated May 31, 1882:

A REIGN of terror exists in St. Martin's Parish, La., over the lynching of Joseph E. Jenkins and Eugene Azar, a negro, on the 16th inst. Bands of armed negroes are going about in St. Martinsville swearing vengeance, and a war of races is dreaded. Sixteen of the lynchers have been arrested, and are now in the parish jail. The lynching of the two men was particularly atrocious. Jenkins' hands were not tied, and when he grasped the rope, the crowd rushed on him with clubs and broke both of his arms. His wife, who was among the spectators, also earnestly begged for his life. He had, a week previously, waylaid his brother-in-law, Raphael Castille, near Breaux bridge, and shot and killed him. Azar had been arrested some time previous for killing a man at Vallery Thibideaux; but at the inquest the killing appeared to have been in self-defense, and he was out on  $300 bail.


I couldn't find any articles about the consequences to the 16 lynchers arrested. More than likely, there were none. Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.

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