Lynching of Cordella Stevenson

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Lynching of Cordella Stevenson
Part of Jim Crow Era
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. LOC sanborn04448 001-1.tif
Map of Mobile and Ohio Railroad in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi
DateDecember 15, 1915
Location Columbus, Mississippi
ParticipantsA white mob
Deaths1

Cordella Stevenson was an African-American woman who was sexually assaulted and lynched by a mob of white men in Columbus, Mississippi on December 15, 1915.

Contents

Lynching

A barn owned by a white man, Gabe Frank, was burned down in a suspected arson attack. Stevenson's son was accused of burning the barn even though he hadn't been seen in the area for months. Local police arrested Cordella Stevenson and her husband Arch Stevenson and held them for six days hoping that she would tell them where her son was. [1]

At 10:00 PM on December 15, 1915, a mob of white men broke into their home, sexually assaulted her and hung her naked from a tree near the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. [2]

Arch escaped on foot and ran into Columbus, but was unable to obtain aid. No one was ever arrested for Stevenson's rape and murder. [3]

Black women lynched 1900-1919

Black women lynched in Mississippi 1900-1919 [4]

Date of deathNamePlaceCause
1914Jennie Collins Bolivar County Alleged to have aided the escape of an accused murderer
November 24, 1914Mrs. Jane Sullivan Byhalial, Marshall County Arson
December 10, 1915Mrs. Cordella Stevenson Columbus, Lowndes Co.Alleged arson
1918Alma House Clarke County Murder
1918Maggie House Shubuta, Clarke County Suspected of murder

See also

Bibliography

Notes

  1. Chicago Defender, December 18, 1915.
  2. Ginzburg 1988, p. 96.
  3. Segrave 2010, p. 133.
  4. Thompson 2015, p. 66.

References