| Part of Jim Crow Era | |
 News coverage of the Lynching of Will Thrasher | |
| Date | February 2, 1922 |
|---|---|
| Location | Crystal Springs, Copiah County, Mississippi |
| Participants | A white mob of 250 men Will Thrasher |
| Deaths | 1 |
Will Thrasher was lynched by a large mob of white men on February 2, 1922, for an alleged assault on a white school teacher. [1]
Miss Myrtle Bailey was a white school teacher at the Fairplay school in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. Around noon on February 1, 1922, she was leaving the school when a black man emerged from the woods and tried to embrace her. She screamed and when a nearby farmer came near the man ran off. For the rest of the day and into the early morning of February 2, 1922, black men were brought before Ms. Bailey for her to identify. A black man was found in the house of Harvey Bass and at 1:00 AM on February 2, 1922, he was brought before Myrtle Bailey, who identified him as the man who allegedly assaulted her. [2]
In Copiah County, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Crystal Springs, the body of Will Thrasher was found hanging from a hemp rope tied to a tree. His body was bullet-ridden and on his foot was a pencil-written note, "Positively identified." [2] A white mob of 250 unmasked men were said to have taken part in the lynching. [2]
Notes
References
Crystal Springs is a city in Copiah County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,044 as of the 2010 census, down from 5,873 in 2000. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Perry massacre was a racially motivated conflict in Perry, Florida, in December 1922. Whites killed four black men, including Charles Wright, who was lynched by being burned at the stake, and they also destroyed several buildings in the black community of Perry after the murder of Ruby Hendry, a white female schoolteacher.
Will Arthur Bell was lynched by a mob in Pontotoc County, Mississippi as the local sheriff tried to move him to prevent the lynching. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 6th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Three Black men were Lynched in Kirvin, Texas for allegedly murdering a young girl. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 19th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Two Black men were Lynched in Florence County, South Carolina near the border with Williamsburg County, South Carolina for allegedly having relations with a white woman. The news did not reach the national media until January 8, 1922, and so is recorded as the first lynching of 1922 in America. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary there were 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Will Jones was an African-American man who was lynched in Ellaville, Schley County, Georgia by a white mob on February 13, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 13th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
William Baker was an 18-year-old African-American man who was lynched in Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi by a white mob on March 8, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 14th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Alex Smith was a 60-year-old African-American man who was lynched in Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi by unknown attackers on March 22, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 19th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
William Byrd was an African-American man who was lynched in Brentwood, Wayne County, Georgia by a mob on May 28, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 31st of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Charles Atkins was a 15-year-old African-American boy who was lynched in Davisboro, Washington County, Georgia by a mob on May 18, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 25th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Joe Winters was a 20-year-old African-American man who was lynched in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas by a mob on May 20, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 27th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Robert "Bob" Collins was an African-American man who was lynched in Summit, Pike County, Mississippi by a mob of about 100 people on June 20, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 32nd of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Ed and his son George Hartley were lynched in Camden, Benton County, Tennessee by a mob on October 20, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary they were the 54th and 55th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States. The two were the only lynchings in the state of Tennessee and of the 61 lynchings they were 2 of 6 white victims.
Jesse Thomas was a 23-year-old, African-American man who was murdered in Waco, McLennan County, Texas by Sam Harris on May 26, 1922. A large mob then seized the body from the undertaker and burnt it in Waco's public square. The lynching of Jesse Thomas was the 10th lynching in 20-days in Texas and according to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 30th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
On December 11, 1922, George Gay was Lynched in Streetman a town that straddles the border of Freestone and Navarro counties in Texas. He allegedly assaulted a young girl. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 60th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
John West was a 50-year-old African-American man who was lynched in Guernsey, Hempstead County, Arkansas by a group of men on the Hope-Texarkana train on July 28, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 41st of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
Oscar Mack was an African-American World War I vet. An attempt was made to lynch Oscar Mack in Kissimmee, Osceola County, Florida. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 39th of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States. The New Britain Herald reported that he was lynched in Lake Jennie Jewell, in Orange County.
John "Cockey" Glover was a 35-year-old African-American man who was lynched in Holton in Bibb County, Georgia by a mob of 300 white men on August 2, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 43rd of 61 lynchings during 1922 in the United States.
John Henry Harrison was a 38-year-old African-American man who was lynched in Malvern, Hot Spring County, Arkansas, by masked men on February 2, 1922. According to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary it was the 10th of 61 lynchings in America and 1 of 5 lynchings in the State of Arkansas during 1922.