Lynching of Fred Alexander

The lynching of Fred Alexander was committed by a mob in Leavenworth, Kansas, United States on January 15, 1901, after he was arrested for rape and murder. He was killed when he was burned alive while tied to a metal rail. The Democratic Party-allied newspaper had been fomenting fear of African Americans as libidinous sexual predators. Results of official investigations disputed whether there was a rape and only circumstantial evidence was used to blame him for the alleged crime. ^[1] The lynching and its aftermath were widely covered in newspapers. ^{[2] [3]}

Alexander was a veteran of the Spanish–American War. He was accused of the rape and murder of 19-year-old Pearl Forbes. ^[4] He was castrated during the lynching. ^[5]

See also

• False accusations of rape as justification for lynchings

References

1. Lovett, Christopher C. (2010). "A Public Burning: Race, Sex, and the Lynching of Fred Alexander" (PDF). Kansas History. 33 (2): 94–115.
2. "Negro Burned at the Stake by a Mob at Leavenworth, Kansas". Los Angeles Herald. January 16, 1901. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
3. "NEGRO DIES AT THE STAKE; Fred Alexander Dragged from Leavenworth Jail by a Mob. Then Taken to the Scene of the Murder of Pearl Forbes and Burned to Death -- Protests His Innocence to the Last". The New York Times. January 16, 1901. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 15, 2021.
4. Rountree, Mark (January 11, 2019). "Anniversary of grisly event next week". The Hutchinson News. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
5. "Lynching in America: Outside the South". Equal Justice Initiative. Retrieved July 15, 2021.