Ripley Johnson
Ripley Johnson, a Black man, was one of eight men held in the Barnwell County jail in South Carolina. Before dawn on December 28, 1889, a mob of several hundred masked men broke into the jail, overpowered the jailer, and took the men out of town, where they were shot to death. The jailer was tied and forced to go along with the mob. Local leaders condemned the killings and asked the governor for troops to keep the peace.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. Newspaper accounts, including a News and Courier report and a Charleston dispatch, say a mob of several hundred masked men broke into the Barnwell jail, overpowered the jailer and shot Ripley Johnson and seven other men outside town.
Reported by: News and Courier (reporters); Charleston dispatch (reporters); Barnwell citizens' advisory committee statement; The Freeman (reporters); Fisherman & Farmer (reporters); Record-Union (reporters); Oakes Weekly Republican (reporters).
Sources (16)
- Richmond Dispatch, December 29, 1889, page 3
- Sacramento Daily Record-Union, December 29, 1889, page 4
- The Indianapolis Journal, December 29, 1889, page 1
- Wichita Eagle, December 29, 1889, page 2
- The Evening Bulletin, December 30, 1889, page 1
- Shenandoah Herald, January 3, 1890, page 2
- Oakes Weekly Republican, January 3, 1890, page 2
- Brookings County Sentinel, January 3, 1890, page 1
- Arizona Weekly Citizen, January 4, 1890, page 1
- The Citizen, January 4, 1890, page 3
- The Freeman, January 4, 1890, page 6
- Western Kansas World, January 4, 1890, page 7
- The Dickinson Press, January 4, 1890, page 2
- The Valley Virginian, January 9, 1890, page 4
- The Sioux County Journal, January 9, 1890, page 3
- Fisherman & Farmer, January 10, 1890, page 2