Lynching of Zachariah Walker
ID: PA1911081301
Name(s) of People Lynched: Zachariah Walker
Number of People Lynched: 1
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Lynching Date(s): 1911-08-13
Year Marker Erected: 2006
Erected by: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
City: Coatesville
County: Chester
State: Pennsylvania
Marker Text: An African American steelworker, Walker was burned to death by a mob near here on August 13, 1911. He was accused of killing Edgar Rice, a white security guard and a former borough policeman. Fifteen local men and teenage boys were indicted for their involvement in Walker’s death but were acquitted of all charges. Nationwide outrage led to the NAACP’s national anti-lynching campaign and inspired Pennsylvania’s 1923 anti-lynching law.
Sources: https://www.hmdb.org