August 3, 1891: Ella and Bill Williams, Lizzie and Willis Lowe

Today we learn about a quadruple lynching in Alabama through the pages of The Evening World (New York, N. Y.) dated August 8, 1891:

LYNCHED FOUR FIREBUGS.

Two Men and Two Women Shot to Death in Alabama.

[BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 8.—News of a quadruple lynching comes from Honey [sic] County, Ala., near Crosby.

The residence of W. P. Davis, a prominent farmer, was burned last Friday, and the family narrowly escaped with their lives. Sunday Ella Williams, colored, was arrested and confessed to having saturated the house with oil and set fire to it out of revenge.

In her confession she implicated Lizzie Lowe, Willis Lowe and Bill Williams.

The Sheriff started from Crosby to Abbeyville jail Thursday with the prisoners taken from him and shot to death.

Their bodies were thrown in the river. The finding of two of the bodies yesterday revealed the story.

This lynching occurred in Henry county, not Honey county. The reason given for burning the home in other articles was that she had an argument with Davis, her employer, and according to at least one article she was let go from her job. One of the bodies found floating in the Chattahoochee river was Ella Williams. 

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