Lynchings in ‘94
January 19, 1895
Summary
The number of lynchings are too high and the government is doing little to prevent it.
Transcription
Lynchings In ‘94
Judge Lynch has executed 190 persons, 187 men and three women, during 1894, ten less than last year. The following record of lynchings since 1885 shows that these horrible outrages are slowly decreasing: ’85, 184; ’86, 138;’87, 122; ’88, 142; ’89, 176; ’90, 127; ’91, 192; ’92, 235, ’93, 200; ’94, 190. The lynchings in the various States and territories for 1894 were as follows: Alabama, 19; Arkansas, 10; California, 1; Colorado, 1; Florida, 7; Georgia, 20; Illinois, 1; Indiana, 2; Iowa, 2; Kansas, 4; Kentucky, 19; Louisiana, 15; Maryland, 1; Mississippi, 16; Missouri, 5; Nebraska, 4; North Carolina, 1; Ohio, 2; Oregon, 1; Pennsylvania, 1; South Carolina, 4; South Dakota, 1; Tennessee, 15; Texas, 12; Virginia, 7; West Virginia, 2; Indian Territory, 2; Oklahoma, 11. Of these lynchings 166 occurred in the South and 24 in the North.- Chicago Tribune.
There is no need of a doubt of the truthfulness of the above. Such is a shame a blot upon a Christian civilized, enlightened, republican government. The atrocities upon Armenians, by the Turks, considering the statutes of the two governments, are minor, to the heinous, violent, infamous, black deeds, performed in this Christian nation, under the garb of lynch-law, amid schools, churches and pulpits.
Lynching certainly seriously offends the will of God, the just laws of man is in direct defiance of established opinions and practice of Christianity, is a gross violation of the moral law, a flagrant breach of God’s law and the American Constitution.
God’s law says: “Thou shalt not kill.” Said Constitution says: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless, on a presentment, or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service, in time of war, or public danger nor deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to a [illegible]… wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense”
Think on it, ye Christian, ye philanthropists, in ten years, consecutive; one thousand, seven hundred and six person in this land of the free and home of the brave, deprived of their life without due process of law. Notwithstanding the president of the U.S. is sworn to the best of his ability to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” What has he done and is he doing to prevent American citizens from being deprived of life, without due process of the law, in the nation over which he presides as its Chief Executive? He can order as investigation of the Armenian atrocities but none ordered by him for American outrages, because in the main committed upon persons of “fleecy locks and black complexions.”
The Tribune says these horrible outrages are slowly decreasing. Yes, but not fast enough for a Christian republic, and a Christian (?) executive. The reader can see from the above extract, in what part of our native land and country, lynching is mostly performed.
The case recently of those white persons with blackened faces murdering a white woman, leads one to think that numbers of accusations against colored men were committed by white men with blackened faces, and ‘Negro brogans’ upon their feet.
The coming of the English committee to this country to investigate and ascertain the facts concerning lynching in this country was opposed and frowned upon by press and pulpit of this nation, and yet they commend the president for authorizing an investigation of the Armenian outrages.
The English committee had as much a right to investigate, as had the Armenian U.S. Consul. The refusal of the Turks to permit the investigation, smacks of : “Physician heal thyself,’ ‘Pull the beam out of thine own eye, the thou canst see clearly to pull the mote out of our eye,” for we do not profess to be Christians with a Bible land, but you do.”
Judge Lynch has executed 190 persons, 187 men and three women, during 1894, ten less than last year. The following record of lynchings since 1885 shows that these horrible outrages are slowly decreasing: ’85, 184; ’86, 138;’87, 122; ’88, 142; ’89, 176; ’90, 127; ’91, 192; ’92, 235, ’93, 200; ’94, 190. The lynchings in the various States and territories for 1894 were as follows: Alabama, 19; Arkansas, 10; California, 1; Colorado, 1; Florida, 7; Georgia, 20; Illinois, 1; Indiana, 2; Iowa, 2; Kansas, 4; Kentucky, 19; Louisiana, 15; Maryland, 1; Mississippi, 16; Missouri, 5; Nebraska, 4; North Carolina, 1; Ohio, 2; Oregon, 1; Pennsylvania, 1; South Carolina, 4; South Dakota, 1; Tennessee, 15; Texas, 12; Virginia, 7; West Virginia, 2; Indian Territory, 2; Oklahoma, 11. Of these lynchings 166 occurred in the South and 24 in the North.- Chicago Tribune.
There is no need of a doubt of the truthfulness of the above. Such is a shame a blot upon a Christian civilized, enlightened, republican government. The atrocities upon Armenians, by the Turks, considering the statutes of the two governments, are minor, to the heinous, violent, infamous, black deeds, performed in this Christian nation, under the garb of lynch-law, amid schools, churches and pulpits.
Lynching certainly seriously offends the will of God, the just laws of man is in direct defiance of established opinions and practice of Christianity, is a gross violation of the moral law, a flagrant breach of God’s law and the American Constitution.
God’s law says: “Thou shalt not kill.” Said Constitution says: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless, on a presentment, or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service, in time of war, or public danger nor deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to a [illegible]… wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense”
Think on it, ye Christian, ye philanthropists, in ten years, consecutive; one thousand, seven hundred and six person in this land of the free and home of the brave, deprived of their life without due process of law. Notwithstanding the president of the U.S. is sworn to the best of his ability to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” What has he done and is he doing to prevent American citizens from being deprived of life, without due process of the law, in the nation over which he presides as its Chief Executive? He can order as investigation of the Armenian atrocities but none ordered by him for American outrages, because in the main committed upon persons of “fleecy locks and black complexions.”
The Tribune says these horrible outrages are slowly decreasing. Yes, but not fast enough for a Christian republic, and a Christian (?) executive. The reader can see from the above extract, in what part of our native land and country, lynching is mostly performed.
The case recently of those white persons with blackened faces murdering a white woman, leads one to think that numbers of accusations against colored men were committed by white men with blackened faces, and ‘Negro brogans’ upon their feet.
The coming of the English committee to this country to investigate and ascertain the facts concerning lynching in this country was opposed and frowned upon by press and pulpit of this nation, and yet they commend the president for authorizing an investigation of the Armenian outrages.
The English committee had as much a right to investigate, as had the Armenian U.S. Consul. The refusal of the Turks to permit the investigation, smacks of : “Physician heal thyself,’ ‘Pull the beam out of thine own eye, the thou canst see clearly to pull the mote out of our eye,” for we do not profess to be Christians with a Bible land, but you do.”
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Right Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Cord Fox
Citation
“Lynchings in ‘94,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed February 19, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/89.