aka Isaiah Cauniel/John Collins/Ike Blunt
1883-04-10
Bertie
Alleged offense: Attempted Rape
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Age: Unrecorded
Legal intervention (in alleged offense): Yes
Legal intervention (following lynching): Unrecorded
Mob size: 100-200
Mob members: Unrecorded
Alleged victim: Lillie Freeman
Household Status: Unrecorded
Occupation: Lumberman
On April 7th, 1883 an assailant attacked the 17-year-old daughter (likely named Lillie) of prominent citizen James Freeman in Windsor, Bertie County. She was with her two younger sisters, and their cries of alarm alerted a nearby laborer to their plea and the assaulter ran away. The alleged perpetrator, who went by several aliases, and, as such his real name is unknown, was caught and confined to the county jail. Later that week, at approximately 4:00-5:00 in the morning, a group of 100-200 people, made up of black and white citizens, advanced towards the county jail. One of the members was dressed as if he was bound, and two more masqueraded as constables delivering the man to the jail in order to trick the jailer. After tricking him into giving up the keys, they forced their way to acquire the alleged perpetrator. He apparently confessed, and the mob brought him to an oak tree and hanged him in front of the Cashie Baptist Church in Windsor.
Documentation
Death certificate: None found
Census: None found
News coverage:
Location
Town: Windsor, North Carolina
Latitude/Longitude: 35.995661, -76.946217
Rationale: In front of Cashie Church, Windsor, Bertie County
Additional Resources:
Researcher’s Note: