Beaten and Hanged
February 23, 1895
Summary
A black man is beaten and nearly hanged to death by a group of whites for allegedly stealing a log chain.
Transcription
Schuyler, Va., Feb 10, 1895.
Mr. Editor:
On the 20th of Dec. 1894 some white people in this neighborhood lost a log chain and suspicion rested on Isaac Howard, a colored man. They were unable to prove it, so in about a week’s time the parties who lost the chain and their relatives and friends, five in all repaired to Howard’s house and took him out of his bed, and hung him by the neck three times.
They whipped him severely in order to force from him a confession. As he was innocent, they were unsuccessful in the attempt. They let him down and made him call all their names but one. That one did not speak while they were whipping him, saying that he had nothing to do with it, as they had forced him to come. Howard was carried home and told if he said anything about it they would kill him.
The hanging of him up by the neck caused his neck and jaws to swell. It was rumored that he had been “white-capped,” and enquiries were made of him, but he denied it, fearing his life would be endangered if he owned up. One of the white men who whipped him fell out with the others and went about laughing over the whipping of Howard. He told who were concerned in it. Then Isaac Howard owned it. Two more of the white men admitted that they took a part in it. They have left. The other one was working at the Virginia Soap Stone quarry. Schuyler, Va., and told what he had done. Some of the white men concerned are among the leading citizens of Nelson County.
Howard has been advised to get out a warrant for the one that first told it. He heard of it and has left. The white men came the other day to Isaac Howard and proposed a compromise, offering him $5.00. If all such cases were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law this white-capping and lynching would cease.
J.W.T.
Mr. Editor:
On the 20th of Dec. 1894 some white people in this neighborhood lost a log chain and suspicion rested on Isaac Howard, a colored man. They were unable to prove it, so in about a week’s time the parties who lost the chain and their relatives and friends, five in all repaired to Howard’s house and took him out of his bed, and hung him by the neck three times.
They whipped him severely in order to force from him a confession. As he was innocent, they were unsuccessful in the attempt. They let him down and made him call all their names but one. That one did not speak while they were whipping him, saying that he had nothing to do with it, as they had forced him to come. Howard was carried home and told if he said anything about it they would kill him.
The hanging of him up by the neck caused his neck and jaws to swell. It was rumored that he had been “white-capped,” and enquiries were made of him, but he denied it, fearing his life would be endangered if he owned up. One of the white men who whipped him fell out with the others and went about laughing over the whipping of Howard. He told who were concerned in it. Then Isaac Howard owned it. Two more of the white men admitted that they took a part in it. They have left. The other one was working at the Virginia Soap Stone quarry. Schuyler, Va., and told what he had done. Some of the white men concerned are among the leading citizens of Nelson County.
Howard has been advised to get out a warrant for the one that first told it. He heard of it and has left. The white men came the other day to Isaac Howard and proposed a compromise, offering him $5.00. If all such cases were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law this white-capping and lynching would cease.
J.W.T.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Lower Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Cord Fox
Citation
“Beaten and Hanged,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed May 12, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1368.