Burke Harris

Burke Harris, a Black man, was held in the jail at Cleveland, Mississippi, in March 1904. Newspaper accounts of the time report that a mob of masked men broke into the jail, took him and another man from their cells, and hanged them from a railroad bridge. One account says the bodies were found hanging from the bridge the next day. The papers do not describe whether the jailers resisted the mob or handed over the keys.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of masked men broke into the Cleveland, Mississippi jail, took Burke Harris from custody and hanged him from a railroad bridge, according to news dispatches.

Reported by: news dispatches from Cleveland, Miss. (Memphis Scimitar and wire reports) (reporters).

News reports (7)

• The Courier-Journal, March 20, 1904, page 2 The Courier-Journal, March 20, 1904
• The Evening Bulletin, March 21, 1904, page 1 The Evening Bulletin, March 21, 1904
• The Brandon News, March 24, 1904, page 6 The Brandon News, March 24, 1904
• The Port Gibson Reveille, March 24, 1904, page 4 The Port Gibson Reveille, March 24, 1904
• The Newark Journal, March 25, 1904, page 3 The Newark Journal, March 25, 1904
• Cotter Courier, March 25, 1904, page 4 Cotter Courier, March 25, 1904
• The Osceola Times, April 2, 1904, page 5 The Osceola Times, April 2, 1904