June 3, 1889: Dock (Dick) Connelly and Nelson Huey

Today we learn about a lynching in Louisiana through the pages of The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas) dated June 6, 1889:

RIDDLED WITH BUCKSHOT

Two Negroes Killed at the Hands of a Mob in Louisiana.

NEW ORLEANS, La., June 5.—The Times-Democrat's Osyka, Miss., special says:  On Monday evening some ten white men armed with shotguns went to the house of a negro named Dock Tangipahoa parish. A negro named Huey, who was supposed to have been a fugitive from justice, first saw the mob from Connelly's house and tried to make his escape by running one from the back door, but there he met another armed crowd, who literally riddled him with buckshot. Connelly, who remained in his house, was dragged out and shot at least thirty times, his body being torn into shreds. There is no clew whatsoever to the identity of the parties who did the killings, but it is understood they came from the northern part of Pike county, Miss.

The only person who saw the men was Connelly's wife, who was in bed, having only a short time before given birth to a child. She said she did not recognize any of them. It is not known for what crime such a terrible fate was meted out to the negroes. It is said a week or so ago Huey made an indecent proposal to a young white girl, Miss Thompson, who lives in the northern portion of Pike county. 

Ten days ago an officer arrived in Tangipahoa parish and arrested Huey. The officer never stated for what crime he was arrested, and without requisition from the governor, or a warrant for that matter, took Huey off. The negro was gone for a week.

When he came back a day or so ago his body was terribly lacerated, and he said that he had been whipped by the officer and warned to keep out of that section forever. What charge there was against Connelly cannot be learned. It is said, however, that he was a bad negro.

The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana) dated June 6, 1889 was succinct in its coverage of the lynching:

Dock Connelly, a negro at Osyka, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, was shot to pieces by a mob. He was a bad negro.

Most articles claim the mob consisted of ten to fifteen men. Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.