Tuesday, May 17, 2016

August 24, 1913: Virgil Swanson and August 27,1913: James Comeaux

Today we learn about two lynchings, one in Georgia and the other in Louisiana, through the pages of The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) dated August 28, 1913:


INNOCENT NEGRO LYNCHED.

Another Black Man Confesses He Killed Wealthy Planter.

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE ENQUIRER.

Greenville, Ga., August 27.—Virgil Swanson, a negro, lynched near here Monday as the murderer of L. C. Marchman, a wealthy planter, was innocent. Swanson's innocence was proven to-day when Walter Brewster, another negro, confessed that he killed Marchman in a dispute about rent.


NEGRO IS LYNCHED.


Jennings, La., August 27.—James Comeaux, a negro, was lynched by a mob here early to-day. He was taken from his cell in the jail some time after midnight and shot to death. Comeaux had been arrested for assaulting A. W. Joseph, a merchant, who had accidentally swept dirt on the negro's shoes while he was passing the store.


An extra one, though called a lynching in the article, which seems to be more murder since it was committed by only one man comes to us through the pages of The Warren Record (Warrenton, N. C.) dated December 17, 1897: 


Lynched By One Man,

William Ellis, a prominent farmer, living near Evergreen, Ala., took a negro named Cook King to a swamp, tied him to a tree and shot him to death. Intimacy with Ellis' daughter is the alleged crime.


Please note that the use of the word intimacy implies that it was consensual. 

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

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