December 7 & 9, 1890: Dennis Martin and Moses Lemon

Today we learn about a lynching in Mississippi through the pages of The Record-Union (Sacramento, California) dated December 8, 1890:

PAID THE PENALTY.

Negro Murderer Lynched by a Posse of Colored Citizens.

GREENWOOD (Miss.), December 7th.—At Roerck Landing, on the Yazoo river, Dennis Martin, in company with other negroes, engaged in a game of craps close to Mr. Aron's store, a prominent citizen and wealthy plantation owner. After playing some time a disturbance was raised. Aron went out to remonstrate, and, finding Martin the cause of the disturbance, advanced upon him. Martin drew a revolver and fired upon Aron without effect.

Aron went into his store, and Philip Thomas, followed by several other colored men, carried Martin into the store to apologize to Aron. Martin, upon seeing Aron, pulled a revolver and fired point blank at Aron, killing him almost instantly.

Martin then turned and fired upon several others. Martin then attempted to escape, but was captured by a posse of colored citizens and lynched.

The Saint Paul Globe (Saint Paul, Minnesota) dated December 10, 1890:

SWUNG FROM A TREE.

An Incendiary Negro Lynched by Men of His Own Race.

ILTA BENA, Miss., Dec. 9.—There was another lynching at Roebuck, miss., to-day as a sequel to the Aron murder. One Moses Lemon, colored, became very indignant at the lynching of Dennis Martin for the killing of Gus Aron, and it was learned that he was circulating among the negroes trying to get up a mob and go to Aron's store, murder the clerks and fire the building. The people of the neighborhood, both white and black, formed themselves into an organization and swung Lemon to a tree.

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