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The lynching of Laura Nelson

After seeing the connection between Henrietta Vinton Davis and Black Women who were lynched (they lacked markers on their graves) we posted Dr. Daniel Meaders’ pamphlet on Black Women Who Were Lynched in America. Reading that aroused wonder. Were more women lynched than Dr. Meaders found? Further inquiry led us to the revelation of “STRANGER FRUIT”: THE LYNCHING OF BLACK WOMEN THE CASES OF ROSA RICHARDSON AND MARIE SCOTT” by MARIA DELONGORIA. The information below is extracted from Appendix A: Recorded Cases of Black Female Lynching Victims 1886-1957. This list indicates approximately one hundred and fifty women who were lynched. Four of them were known to have been pregnant at the time. m= mother d=daughter s=son f=father c=cousin w=wife h=husband #=age of victim b=brother s1=sister * some sexually related aspect (evidence of rape, sexual assault and/or ‘relationship’) ** approximate date

Number Date Name Lynched with County/City State 1870 1 Sept Mrs. John Simes Henry Co KY Republican 1872 2 Nov Mrs. Hawkins (m) Fayette Co KY Republican 3 —– Hawkins (d) Fayette Co KY Republican 1876 4 May Mrs. Ben French Warsaw KY murder 1878 5 4 Nov Maria Smith Hernando MS murder 1880 6 29 July Milly Thompson Clayton GA 7 6 Dec Julia Brandt (15) Joe Barnes, Vance Brandt Charleston SC theft/murder 1881 8 *4 Sept Ann (Eliza) Cowan (35) Newberry SC arson 1885 9 29 Sept Harriet Finch Jerry Finch, John Pattishal, Lee Tyson Chatham Co NC murder 1886 10 25 July Mary Hollenbeck Tattnall GA murder 11 18 Aug Eliza Wood Madison TN murder 12 Sept Cummins (d) Stephen Cummins (f) Pulaski KY 1887 13 28 April Gracy Blanton W. Carroll LA theft 1891 14 15 April Roxie Elliott Centerville AL 15 9 May Mrs. Lee Lowndes MS son accused of murder 16 1 Aug Eliza Lowe Henry AL arson 17 Ella Williams Henry AL arson 18 28 Sept Louise Stevenson Grant White Hollandale MS murder 1892 19 3 Feb Mrs. Martin Sumner Co TN son accused of arson 20 10 Feb Mrs. Brisco(w) AR race prejudice 21 10 Feb Jessie Dillingham Smokeyville TX train wrecking 22 11 March Ella (15) Rayville LA attempted murder/poisoning 23 2 Nov Mrs. Hastings(m) son (16) Jonesville LA husband accused 24 Hastings(d,14) Jonesville LA father accused of murder 25 21 Dec Cora Guthrie,Indian Territory 1893 26 19 March Jessie Jones Jellico TN murder 27 18 July Meredith Lewis Roseland LA murder 28 15 Sept Emma Fair Paul Hill, Paul Archer, William Archer Carrolton AL arson 29 16 Sept Louisa Carter (Lou)(m) Jackson MS poisoning a well 30 Mahala Jackson (d) Jackson MS poisoning a well 1893 31 Nov Mrs. Phil Evens (m) Bardstown KY 32 Evans (d) Bardstown KY 33 Evans (d) Bardstown KY 34 4 Nov Mary (Eliza) Motlow Lynchburg VA arson 35 9 Nov Rilla Weaver Clarendon AR 1894 36 6 March unknown Negro woman Pulaski AR 37 16 July Marion Howard Scottsville KY 38 24 July Negro woman Simpson Co MS race prejudice 1895 39 20 March Harriet Tally Petersburg TN arson 40 21 April Mary Deane Greenville AL murder 41 Alice Green Greenville AL murder 42 Martha Green Greenville AL murder 43 1 July Mollie Smith Trigg County KY 44 20 July Mrs. Abe Phillips (m) unnamed child (1)Hannah Phillips (d) Mant TX 45 23 July Negro woman Brenham TX 46 2 Aug Mrs. James Mason James Mason (h) Dangerfield TX 47 *28 Aug Negro woman Simpson MS miscegenation 48 26 Sept Felicia Francis New Orleans LA 49 11 Oct Catherine Matthews Baton Rouge LA poisoning 50 2 Dec Hannah Kearse (Walker,m),Isom K. (s) Colleton SC stealing a bible 1896 51 *12 Jan Charlotte Morris Jefferson LA miscegenation/living with white “husband” 52 1 Aug Isadora Morely Selma AL murder 53 18 Nov Mimm Collier Steenston MS 1897 54 9 Feb Negro woman Carrolton MS theft/arson 55 5 March Otea Smith Julietta FL murder 56 12 May Amanda Franks Jefferson AL murder 57 Molly White Jefferson AL murder 1898 58 22 Feb Dora Baker (d,2)Frazier Baker(f) Williamsburg SC race prejudice 59 9 Nov Rose Etheridge Phoenix SC murder 60 13 Nov Eliza Goode Greenwood SC murder 1899 61 23 March Willia Boyd Silver City MS 1900 62 2 March Mrs. Jim Cross (m) Lowndes AL 63 Cross (d) Lowndes AL 64 7 July Lizzie Pool Hickory Plains AR race prejudice 65 25 July Anna Mabry New Orleans LA race prejudice 66 28 Aug Negro woman Negro man Forrest City NC theft of peaches 1901 67 5 March Ballie Crutchfield Rome TN theft 68 20 March Terry Bell Terry MS 69 1 Aug Betsey McCray (m) Belfiield (s) Carrolton MS knowledge of murder 70 Ida McCray (d) Carrolton MS knowledge of murder 71 4 Oct Negro woman Marshall TX assault 1902 72 15 Feb Bell Duly Fulton KY 73 27 Dec Mrs.Emma Wideman Oliver Wideman Troy SC murder 1903 74 Negro woman murder of Mrs. Frank Matthews 75 8 June Negro woman Negro men (4) Smith County MS murder 76 24 June Lamb Whittle Concordia LA 77 *25 July Jennie Steers Beard Plantation, Shreveport LA murder by poison 78 28 Oct Jennie McCall Hamilton FL by mistake 1904 79 7 Feb Holbert Luther Holbert Doddsville MS burning barn 80 *14 June Marie Thompson Lebanon Junction KY murder 81 30 August unknown Bates Union AR 1906 82 7 Nov Meta Hicks Mitchell GA husband accused of murder 1907 83 20 March Negro woman Stamps AR 84 Negro woman Stamps AR 85 21 May Mrs. Padgett (m) Son Tattnall GA son accused of rape 86 Padgett (d) Tattnall GA brother accused of rape 1908 87 3 Oct Mrs. D. Walker (m) Fulton KY race hatred 88 Walker (d) Fulton KY race hatred 1909 89 9 Feb Robby Baskin Houston MS murder 90 30 July Emile Antione Grand Prairie LA assault 1910 91 April 5 Laura Mitchell Lonoke AR murder 92 *25 Aug Laura Porter Monroe LA disreputable house 1911 93 *25 May Laura Nelson L.D. (14)(s) Okemah OK murder 94 2 Sept Hattie Bowman Ed Christian Greenville FL theft 1912 95 ** Pettigrew (d) Ben Pettigrew (f) Savannah TN 96 ** Pettigrew (d) Savannah TN 97 Negro woman Codele GA 98 *23 Jan Belle Hathaway John Moore,Eugene Hamming,Dusty Cruthfield or Crutchfield Hamilton GA tenants of murdered man 99 11 Feb Negro woman Negro children (3) Beaumont TX 100 13 Feb Mary Jackson George Saunders Marshall TX 101 25 June Ann Boston Pinehurst GA murder 1914 102 13 Mar** Mrs. Joe Perry (m,w) Joe Perry (h)SonChild Henderson NC 103 *31 Mar Marie Scott (17) Muskogee OK murder 104 28 May/June** Jennie Collins Shaw MS aiding in escape 105 17 June Paralee Collins (m) Issac (s) West Plains MO 106 *12 July Rosa Richardson (27-35) Providence/Santee SC murder 107 25 Nov Jane Sullivan Fred Sullivan (h) Byhalia MS burning a barn 1915 108 15 Jan Eula Charles (Barber,d)Dan Barber (f) Jasper County GA parents accused of bootlegging 109 Ella Charles (Barber,d)Jesse Barber(b) Jasper County GA parents accused of bootlegging 110 May Briley Pescott AR 111 17 Aug Hope Hull AL 112 *8 Dec Cordella Stevenson Columbus MS 1916 113 19 Aug Mary Dennis Newberry FL aiding in escape 114 Stella Long Newberry FL aiding in escape 115 4 Oct** Mary Conley Arlington GA complicity in murder 1917 116 1 March Emma Hooper Hammond LA murder 1918 117 17 May Mary Turner (pregnant) Brooks Co GA taught a lesson 118 4 June Sarah Cabiness unnamed children(2)Bessie Cabiness(d)Pete (s)Tenola Cabiness(d)Cute Cabiness (d) Huntsville TX threatening white man 119 4 Sept Mrs. James Eyer Marion GA 120 *21 Dec Alma House (pregnant) Andrew Clark Shubuta MS murder 1919 121 5 May unknown Negro woman Holmes MS race prejudice 1920 122 2 Nov unknown Negro woman Ocoee FL race prejudice 123 18 Nov Minnie Ivory Willie IvoryWill Perry Douglass GA murder 1921 124 9 April Rachel Moore Rankin MS race prejudice 1922 125 25 June Mercy Hall Oklahoma City OK strike activity 1923 126 5 Jan Sarah Carrier Rosewood FL race prejudice 127 Lesty Gordon Rosewood FL race prejudice 128 29 Sept Negro woman Pickens MS 129 31 Sept Negro woman Holmes MS race prejudice 1924 130 23 June Penny Westmoreland Marcus Westmoreland Spalding GA 131 19 July —– Sheldon Meridian MS 132 11 Sept Sarah Williams Shreveport LA 1925 133 *25 April Annie Lowman (m) Aiken SC defending her daughter 1926 134 25 April Lily Cobb Birmingham AL 135 25 May Eliza Bryant Duplin NC success 136 8 Oct Bertha Lowman(d,s1) Demon (b) Aiken SC lynched after acquitted of murder 137 11 Nov Sally Brown Clarence (c) Houston TX 1928 138 25 Dec Negro woman (1) Eros LA dispute w/ whites 139 Negro woman (2) Eros LA dispute w/whites 1930 140 12 Feb Laura Wood Salisbury NC 141 5 July Viola Dial (pregnant) Narketta MS race prejudice 142 6 July Mrs. James Eyers Markeeta MS race prejudice 143 10 Sept Holly White Pigg Lockett Scooba MS 1931 144 May Mrs. Wise Frankfort VA resisting Klan 1946 145 *25 July Dorothy Malcolm(w) (pregnant) Roger Malcolm (h) Monroe GA able to identify mob members 146 Mae Dorsey George Dorsey (h) Monroe GA able to identify mob members 1956 147 *25 March Angenora Spencer Hyde NC miscegenation 1957 148 18 Nov Mrs. Frank Clay Henderson NC dispute

*Crystal Nicole Femister has a similar chart in the Appendix of her dissertation “Ladies and Lynching”: The Gendered Discourse of Mob Violence in the New South, 1880-1930. Having used overlapping sources accounts for similarities although there are differences in categories, variations of names, locations and some of the other content.