Rucker

Rucker, a Black man, was held in the custody of the sheriff in Houston, Mississippi, when a mob took him from the officers on the afternoon of February 8, 1913. The mob tied him to an iron post in the courthouse yard, poured hot tar over him, and set him on fire, and a member of the crowd fired shots into his body. Accounts say the sheriff and deputies were held under guard and could not stop the mob. The Richmond Virginian reports that Governor Brewer ordered an investigation and that arrests would follow.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took Rucker from the sheriff and officers, chained or tied him to a pump or iron post in the courthouse yard, burned him, and shot him, per the accounts; Governor Brewer ordered an investigation.

Reported by: news reports; Governor Brewer of Mississippi.

Sources (3)

• The Montgomery Advertiser, February 9, 1913, page 14 The Montgomery Advertiser, February 9, 1913
• The Times Dispatch, February 9, 1913, page 5 The Times Dispatch, February 9, 1913
• The Richmond Virginian, February 9, 1913, page 1 The Richmond Virginian, February 9, 1913