September, 1905: Will James

Today we learn about a lynching in Mississippi through the pages of The North Carolinian (Raleigh, N. C.) dated September 14, 1905:

SHOT TO DEATH AND BURNED.

Fate of a Negro Who Bought Whiskey From Moonshiners Then Informed on Them.

(By the Associated Press.)

Jackson, Miss., Sept 12.—Governor Vardaman today received a letter from District Attorney Brewer, of the eleventh district, notifying him that a negro named Will James, living in the interior of Tallahatchie county, was taken to the woods by three white men and shot to death, after which his body was burned.

The negro, it was said, had bought some whiskey from one of the white men and afterwards informed on him. The district attorney asked the Governor to take action in the case.

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