Will Wait and See: A Black Crime Committed

A white man rapes a 10 year old girl, and is apprehended by police, while the black community refuses to lynch him.

Not a black man committed rape upon a little white girl, but this time it is a white man committed rape on a little colored girl. Little Emma Abernathy only 10 years of age had gone to the Blackberry patch on Saturday, the 7th, in company with her little sister still younger, and two of The Neighbors’ children. About 1/4 of a mile from home between 3 and 4 o’clock p.m. While the tender Little Flock was engaged and picking berries, a rough, Burly looking white man by the name Jessie Murray, seized that little 10 year old girl, and committed that horrible deed. While she and the other children screamed at the top of their voices, which raised an alarm, her mother, an industrious lady who was busily engaged with her ironing, drop everything and ran for the police. He was captured and was tried before Justice Carter and in default of $1,000 Bond he was lodged in the county jail. Mr. Abernathy says she is perfectly willing for the laws of North Carolina to be carried out. All the colored people are very quiet, no attempts at all are made of disorderly asked. We believe that the law will give him Justice. The evidence are clearly against him. Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy are members of the Zion church and highly respected citizens.

“Will Wait and See: A Black Crime Committed,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 23, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1505.