Lynching of Fred Alexander explained
The lynching of Fred Alexander was committed by a mob in Leavenworth, Kansas 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
Notes and References
- Lovett . Christopher C.. 2010. A Public Burning: Race, Sex, and the Lynching of Fred Alexander. Kansas History. 33. 2. 94–115.
- News: 1901-01-16. Negro Burned at the Stake by a Mob at Leavenworth, Kansas. Los Angeles Herald. 2021-07-15.
- News: 1901-01-16. 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.. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-07-15. 0362-4331.
- Web site: Rountree. Mark. 2019-01-11. Anniversary of grisly event next week. 2021-07-15. The Hutchinson News. en.
- Web site: Lynching in America: Outside the South. 2021-07-15. Equal Justice Initiative. en-US.
