The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-03-03
LYNGHINc [ ORGIES
RIVALS SCENE OF
INFERNO, CHARGE
Savage Tortures Pictured in
Report to Federal Coun.
Gil of Churches
DONE IN SIGHT OF CHURCHES
Committe Finds That Many
Victims We're Innocent
Of Any Crime
lCrusader Service. :

Washington, March 2 Like scenes
from Dante's "Inferno,n and unlike
anything deemed possible in modern
life, is the description of the tor
lures inflicted in lynching bees in
various states throughout this So
called civilized country, as compiled
by the Commission on the Church
and Race Relations Of the Federal
Council of Churches in it's educa-
tioral campaign against lynching.
The stories almost pass belief, and
yet they are taken from accounts
written by reputable newspaper men
in the communities in which they oc-
Cured.
The commission states that it
seems hardly believable that Ameri-
ca, with its great Christian churches,
homes, schools and courts and holier-
than-thou attitude, allowed between
1885 and 1921, the lynching of more
than 1900 persons, the great major
ity Of whom were colored people. To
add to the enormity of these crimes
against humanity, eight-three of the
victims were women Scores Of VIC
TINS listed as adult males We're mere
youths. Seventeen of the women
lynched were white, the others being
colored. s - -
The statement sayss -.
Many Victims Innocent.
- Some of chose ks.ed by nobs
were charged with crimes, many of
them only with misdemeanors, some
only with words or acts which are
nowhere punishable by law at any
time. All were slain without trial
where they might have faced their
aceusers, have had 5. witnesses and
have had the evidence considered by
a lawful Judge or jury. A frenzied
mob was judge, jury and executioner.
In many cases persons not sought by
the mobs have been lynched by mis-
take, so wild and savage has been the
Some Of the victims suf-
fered indescribable torture, such as
saturation of parts of the body with
kerosene or gasoline, so that they
could be burned piecemeal, or brand
ing with hot irons. 49, =
Within Sight of Churches.
ain some cases these atrocities
have been perpetrated within sight of
the churches Of the community"
Lynchings are often definitely
planned and carried out. Here are
few illustrations chosen from ac-
counts in leading city newspapers
following lynchings:
:. 1. "Late last night the jailer was
enticed away from the prison on the
pretense of cali to make an arrest.
AS soon as he was out of hearing a
mob of 200 masked men went to the
jail and took the keys from his wife,
and securing the three prisoners, took
them to the bridges and placed
strong rope around the neck of each,
tied the other end to the timbers of
the bridge and compelled their VIC
Tins to jump"
Eight Prisoners Shot.
3 2. {Summarized.) Masked mob
entered the Jail at two A. NJ. and took
out nine prisoners-one white man
and eight Negroes. Eight were shot
to death and one, a Negro, escaped
after being wounded. The mob over
the town marshal and the
jailer, carried the men out and tied
them to fence posts by their necks
and then fired Ave volleys into their
bodies. Only one OF the prisoners
had been convicted Negro, under
sentece of death for the murder Of
another Negro. -