several thousand people. At one time the mob threatened
to burn the Negro in Mayor Trout's yard.

Thus did the people of Roanoke, Va., add this measure of proof to maintain
our contention that it is only necessary to charge a Negro with a crime in
order to secure his certain death. It was well known in the city before he
was killed that he had not assaulted the woman with whom he had had the
trouble, but he dared to have an altercation with a white woman, and he
must pay the penalty. For an offense which would not in any civilized
community have brought upon him a punishment greater than a fine of a few
dollars, this unfortunate Negro was hung, shot and burned.

SUSPECTED, INNOCENT AND LYNCHED

Five persons, Benjamin Jackson, his wife, Mahala Jackson, his
mother-in-law, Lou Carter, Rufus Bigley, were lynched near Quincy, Miss.,
the charge against them being suspicion of well poisoning. It appears from
the newspaper dispatches at that time that a family by the name of
Woodruff was taken ill in September of 1892. As a result of their illness
one or more of the family are said to have died, though that matter is not
stated definitely. It was suspected that the cause of their illness was
the existence of poison in the water, some miscreant having placed poison
in the well. Suspicion pointed to a colored man named Benjamin Jackson who
was at once arrested. With him also were arrested his wife and
mother-in-law and all were held on the same charge.

The matter came up for judicial investigation, but as might have been
expected, the white people concluded it was unnecessary to wait the result
of the investigation--that it was preferable to hang the accused first and
try him afterward. By this method of procedure, the desired result was
always obtained--the accused was hanged. Accordingly Benjamin Jackson was
taken from the officers by a crowd of about two hundred people, while the
inquest was being held, and hanged. After the killing of Jackson, the
inquest was continued to ascertain the possible connection of the other
persons charged with the crime. Against the wife and mother-in-law of the
unfortunate man there was not the slightest evidence and the coroner's
jury was fair enough to give them their liberty. They were declared
innocent and returned to their homes. But this did not protect the women
from the demands of the Christian white people of that section of the
country. In any other land and with any other people