Lynching of John Hartfield
ID: MS1919062601
Name(s) of People Lynched: John Hartfield
Number of People Lynched: 1
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Lynching Date(s): 1919-06-26
Year Marker Erected: 2023
Erected by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History
City: Ellisville
County: Jones
State: Mississippi
Marker Text: On June 26, 1919, John Hartfield, an African American, was lynched in Ellisville allegedly for raping his White girlfriend. After being apprehended by the county sheriff, he was turned over to a mob. The lynching was announced in advance by newspapers, and thousands of spectators watched as Hartfield was hanged from a sweet gum tree and his body riddled with bullets. After being taken down, parts of his body and postcards of the killing were sold as souvenirs and the remains burned.
Sources: https://www.wdam.com