May 28, 1892: Jim Smith

Today we learn about a lynching in West Virginia through the pages of The Record-Union (Sacramento, California) dated May 30, 1892:

Colored Desperado Lynched

HUNTINGTON (W. Va.), May 29.—Information has reached here of the lynching Saturday in Logan County of Jim Smith, a notorious colored desperado, on Friday evening Charles Serpell, aged 12, a colored boy, who was murdered and robbed by Smith, who was caught later. The officers having him were overpowered by a mob composed of negroes, who took the prisoner to the nearest tree and swung him up. Smith previously killed three men.

Today's article of interest is found in The Kansas City Gazette (Kansas City, Kansas) dated May 28, 1892:

The general conference of the Methodist church in session at Omaha, was told the other day that 150 negroes had been lynched in the last year. Of these seven were burned alive. Going over its files for a week the St. Louis Globe-Democrat concludes that the case is not overstated.

Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.