Harrison Johnson

Harrison Johnson, a Black man, was held in the Amite City jail in Louisiana in late December 1879. According to the New Orleans Times, as reprinted in The Comet, and the Louisiana Democrat, a mob of at least fifty men demanded the jail keys from Sheriff F. P. Mix, then took the prisoners about half a mile from town and hanged four of them. The St. Tammany Farmer reported that the sheriff had no warning of the mob and was forced to hand over the keys, and that the men were hanged from a tree by the roadside and that three of the bodies were fired into. The bodies were found the next morning lying close together, riddled with bullets.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of about fifty men took Harrison Johnson from the Amite City jail, where the sheriff gave up the keys, and killed him; the New Orleans Times and The Louisiana Democrat report that he was hanged and the bodies were riddled with bullets.

Reported by: New Orleans Times, as reprinted in The Comet (reporters); St. Tammany Farmer (reporters); The Louisiana Democrat (reporters).

News reports (10)

• The Daily Dispatch, December 30, 1879, page 3 The Daily Dispatch, December 30, 1879
• Daily Republican, December 30, 1879, page 1 Daily Republican, December 30, 1879
• The Weekly Clarion, December 31, 1879, page 3 The Weekly Clarion, December 31, 1879
• Sacramento Daily Record-Union, January 1, 1880, page 16 Sacramento Daily Record-Union, January 1, 1880
• The Comet, January 3, 1880, page 1 The Comet, January 3, 1880
• St. Tammany Farmer, January 3, 1880, page 2 St. Tammany Farmer, January 3, 1880
• The Louisiana Democrat, January 7, 1880, page 2 The Louisiana Democrat, January 7, 1880
• American Citizen, January 10, 1880, page 1 American Citizen, January 10, 1880
• The Colfax Chronicle, January 10, 1880, page 1 The Colfax Chronicle, January 10, 1880
• Wilmington Argus, January 14, 1880, page 3 Wilmington Argus, January 14, 1880