White Man Lynched
July 2, 1898
Summary
An entire town lynches a white man guilty of killing his white neighbor over a property dispute.
Transcription
Fought his murderers.
Shots like a Cur.
A Dastardly Deed.
What Will be Done About It?
Wytheville, Va., June 22. — (Special )— News has just reached here that Howlet, the man who recently murdered Allen, in Carroll country, was lynched by a mob early Monday morning at Hillsville.
The particulars of the murder, which occurred some four weeks ago, are these: Howlet and Allen were small farmers and near neighbors, living four miles from Hillsville. They had some words over a new road, which divided their lands, and the difficulty terminated by Howlet’s blockading it with young cut timber limbs and brush.
Would not remove it.
Allen said that he would remove the obstruction, and with his two sons proceeded to do so. In the meantime, Howlet and his brother preceded Allen and his sons to the road. Howlet climbed into a tree and concealed himself. When Allen came up to clear the road. Howlet warned him not to do so, saying that he would shoot him if he persisted. Allen, without further words, went to work, whereupon Howlet shot and killed him. He then shot and tried to kill the Allen boys. It is said that Howlet’s brother was to have killed the boys, but his heart failed him, and that he tried to keep Howlet form shooting them. Howlet was at once arrested and jailed at Hillsville.
The murderers assemble.
Saturday night a report reached Hillsville that a party of the dead man’s friends were coming to town to hang Howlet, so Sheriff Mitchell removed the prisoner from the jail and hid him away in the courthouse. The lynchers did not come that night, so Sunday morning Howlet was returned to jail. About 2 o’clock the lynchers made their appearance at the jail and demanded the murdered. They made very little noise, and went about their work of revenge in a most positive, business-like manner. They soon got possession of the keys to the cell in which the prisoner was confined, went in, and brought him out.
Fight to the death.
He made very little resistance in the cell, so they did not take the precaution to put the rope around his neck. When they got Howlet out into the jail-yard he began a “fight to the death,” and being a powerful man physically, and in the prime of life, he knocked his assailants right and left. He was wild and fought like a tiger. The lynchers tried in every way to down him, but they could not.
The leader of the mob finally gave orders to shoot Howlet, which his followers did, filling him with bullets. The appearance of the body afterwards showed that nearly all of the wounds were inflicted at close range.
Shrouded for the family.
The mob then quietly disbanded, leaving Howlet dead in the jail-yard. His remains were dressed the next morning and sent to his wife and children.
Shots like a Cur.
A Dastardly Deed.
What Will be Done About It?
Wytheville, Va., June 22. — (Special )— News has just reached here that Howlet, the man who recently murdered Allen, in Carroll country, was lynched by a mob early Monday morning at Hillsville.
The particulars of the murder, which occurred some four weeks ago, are these: Howlet and Allen were small farmers and near neighbors, living four miles from Hillsville. They had some words over a new road, which divided their lands, and the difficulty terminated by Howlet’s blockading it with young cut timber limbs and brush.
Would not remove it.
Allen said that he would remove the obstruction, and with his two sons proceeded to do so. In the meantime, Howlet and his brother preceded Allen and his sons to the road. Howlet climbed into a tree and concealed himself. When Allen came up to clear the road. Howlet warned him not to do so, saying that he would shoot him if he persisted. Allen, without further words, went to work, whereupon Howlet shot and killed him. He then shot and tried to kill the Allen boys. It is said that Howlet’s brother was to have killed the boys, but his heart failed him, and that he tried to keep Howlet form shooting them. Howlet was at once arrested and jailed at Hillsville.
The murderers assemble.
Saturday night a report reached Hillsville that a party of the dead man’s friends were coming to town to hang Howlet, so Sheriff Mitchell removed the prisoner from the jail and hid him away in the courthouse. The lynchers did not come that night, so Sunday morning Howlet was returned to jail. About 2 o’clock the lynchers made their appearance at the jail and demanded the murdered. They made very little noise, and went about their work of revenge in a most positive, business-like manner. They soon got possession of the keys to the cell in which the prisoner was confined, went in, and brought him out.
Fight to the death.
He made very little resistance in the cell, so they did not take the precaution to put the rope around his neck. When they got Howlet out into the jail-yard he began a “fight to the death,” and being a powerful man physically, and in the prime of life, he knocked his assailants right and left. He was wild and fought like a tiger. The lynchers tried in every way to down him, but they could not.
The leader of the mob finally gave orders to shoot Howlet, which his followers did, filling him with bullets. The appearance of the body afterwards showed that nearly all of the wounds were inflicted at close range.
Shrouded for the family.
The mob then quietly disbanded, leaving Howlet dead in the jail-yard. His remains were dressed the next morning and sent to his wife and children.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Lower Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Cali Hughes
Citation
“White Man Lynched,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed August 13, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1429.