May 31, 1914: Marie Scott

Today we learned a lynching in Oklahoma through the pages of the Abilene Daily Chronicle (Abilene, Kansas) dated April 1, 1914:

LYNCHED A NEGRO WOMAN.

An Oklahoma Mob Hanged Slayer to a Telephone Cable.

Wagoner, Ok., April 1.—One hundred masked men entered the county jail here before daylight yesterday morning and took Marie Scott, a negro, from her cell and hanged her to a telephone cable a block from the jail.

Early Saturday morning Marie Scott stabbed  to death Lemuel Pearce, a young white man, who, with a party of boys, had gone to the negro section of the town. As they were leaving a house the woman sprang upon Pearce and drove a knife into his heart, killing him instantly.

She was taken to jail and there was no demonstration until Monday night, when a knock on the jail door aroused the sleeping jailer, alone in  the office. A voice outside called to him that it was an officer with prisoners. He opened the door and a dozen revolvers were pointed at him.

The mob threw the jailer into a corner and took the keys of the cells. Then they opened Marie Scott's cell, threw a rope around her neck and marched her out the jail and a block away, where they threw the rope over a telephone cable and swang [sic] her up. The body was taken down an hour later by the sheriff.

The county attorney has started an inquisition, but no warrants have been issued. The sentiment of Wagoner County is with the mob. This is due largely to the fact that the death sentence of negroes have been commuted by the governor.

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