Gus Williams

Gus Williams, a Black man, was held in the jail at Amite City, Louisiana, in January 1897. Newspaper accounts published days later say a mob of about 150 to 200 men broke into the jail in the early hours of January 20, some dating it to the night of January 19, took him from his cell and hanged him from an oak tree in front of Little Zion Church near Amite City. One dispatch says the deputy in charge first refused to hand over the keys before the mob took them from him. The accounts differ on other details: one says his neck was broken, and another says his body was riddled with bullets.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took Gus Williams from the Amite City jail in January 1897 and hanged him from an oak tree near Little Zion Church, according to newspaper dispatches; some accounts say the deputy handed over the keys, while others do not say whether jail staff resisted.

Reported by: Times-Democrat dispatch from Amite City (reporters); Associated Press dispatch (reporters); New Orleans correspondent report in the Rock Island Argus (reporters); Picayune special report via Omaha Daily Bee (reporters); newspaper dispatch; unnamed report received at Amite (reporters); Worcester Morning Daily Spy news brief (reporters); Eddy Current report of a special dispatch from Amite City (reporters).

Sources (21)

• Alexandria Gazette, January 20, 1897, page 2 Alexandria Gazette, January 20, 1897
• Evening Star, January 20, 1897, page 2 Evening Star, January 20, 1897
• Rock Island Argus, January 20, 1897, page 1 Rock Island Argus, January 20, 1897
• The Indianapolis Journal, January 20, 1897, page 1 The Indianapolis Journal, January 20, 1897
• Omaha Daily Bee, January 20, 1897, page 3 Omaha Daily Bee, January 20, 1897
• Foster'S Daily Democrat, January 20, 1897, page 1 Foster'S Daily Democrat, January 20, 1897
• Santa Fe Daily New Mexican, January 20, 1897, page 1 Santa Fe Daily New Mexican, January 20, 1897
• Deseret Evening News, January 20, 1897, page 3 Deseret Evening News, January 20, 1897
• The News & Observer, January 21, 1897, page 1 The News & Observer, January 21, 1897
• The Record-Union, January 21, 1897, page 1 The Record-Union, January 21, 1897
• The San Francisco Call, January 21, 1897, page 3 The San Francisco Call, January 21, 1897
• Daily Camera, January 21, 1897, page 2 Daily Camera, January 21, 1897
• Delaware Gazette And State Journal, January 21, 1897, page 5 Delaware Gazette And State Journal, January 21, 1897
• The Salt Lake Herald, January 21, 1897, page 2 The Salt Lake Herald, January 21, 1897
• Worcester Morning Daily Spy, January 22, 1897, page 3 Worcester Morning Daily Spy, January 22, 1897
• The Meridional, January 23, 1897, page 2 The Meridional, January 23, 1897
• The Eddy Current, January 23, 1897, page 1 The Eddy Current, January 23, 1897
• The Watchman And Southron, January 27, 1897, page 3 The Watchman And Southron, January 27, 1897
• Barton County Democrat, January 28, 1897, page 2 Barton County Democrat, January 28, 1897
• Warren Sheaf, January 28, 1897, page 6 Warren Sheaf, January 28, 1897
• Griggs Courier, January 29, 1897, page 6 Griggs Courier, January 29, 1897