May, 1900: John Brodie, cont.

Today I am adding to a lynching that I previously covered and can be found here. Today's article comes to us through the pages of The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware) dated June 12, 1900:

NEGRO PRISONER LYNCHED.

Two Men Who Had Charge of Him Are Held for Murder.

Laffan News Bureau Special.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 11.—The story of a recent lynching in Lee county, Ark., has just become known in this city. Several weeks ago, John Blunt, a white planter and merchant, and John Brodie, a negro, had a difficulty at Raggio, Ark. Brodie attempted to shoot Blunt, but was shot in the face by another negro after he and Blunt had exchanged several shots. Brodie was arrested, tried before a negro magistrate and bound over. He was placed in the hands of two negro constables. Blunt sent to Marianna for a deputy sheriff and W. H. Ford responded.

The negro was turned over to Ford. Ford left Brodie in charge of Blunt, a man named Ligon and another named Brewer, all white. During the night Ford was awakened and told that Brodie had escaped. Two weeks later Brodie's body was found in the St. Francis river, handcuffed, with a bullet in the brain. The white people of Marianna became aroused and a coroner's jury found that Brodie had been murdered while in the custody of Blunt and Ligon, and the two were held for murder. When the case came up for a hearing, the two men were released on bonds of $4,000 each.

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