Victim ID: VA1880032001
Victim Name: Alison Jackson
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 30
Job: Rail splitter
Method of Death: Hanged and riddled with bullets
Accusation: Murder of a 3 year-old white boy
Date: 1880-03-20
County Name: Page
Mob Composition: Unknown
Summary: Alison Jackson, a black man, was seized and lynched on March 20th, 1880, shortly after being accused of murdering Willie Hilliard, a 3-year-old white boy in Honeyville, Page county.
Alison Jackson, erroneously indicated as James Brown in some newspaper accounts, was an employee of Mr. Hilliard and worked as a rail-splitter on his farm. According to the Coroner’s Inquisition, on March 16th, 1880, Willie Hilliard was being watched by his grandmother Lucinda Cline who told Willie and Alison Jackson not to play by the river. However, both Willie and Jackson went to the river; after getting bothered by the boy, Jackson allegedly strangled the boy under the water three times and hit him as well. Jackson then left the boy there and ran up the river. Two days later, on March 18th, a group of citizens discovered the corpse of Willie Hilliard. Jackson fled to a barn where he sought the help of a black woman. The woman recognized Jackson and sought the help of Mr. Austin. Austin tracked down Jackson to the river, where he tried to swim across to escape. Austin fired two rounds at Jackson. Jackson surrendered and was brought back to a house near the river where he confessed to his crimes. After Jackson testified at the Coroner’s Inquest on the death of Willie Hilliard, he was put under guard to await trial; on March 20th, a mob of over 200 people overpowered the guards and hung Jackson by the river.
The Coroner’s Inquiry into Willie Hilliard’s death concluded that the 3 year old boy “came to his death by the hands of Alison Jackson by strangulation from drowning,” and not by the crushing of his skull as some newspapers had reported. The Bristol News reported that “The crime was so cold-blooded and atrocious that the general verdict is that under the circumstances the people were justified in resorting to lynch.”
Archival Sources: Coroner’s Inquisition of Willie Hilliard and Alison Jackson
News Coverage: Bristol News, Norfolk Landmark, Shenandoah Herald, Staunton Spectator
Article Link (from Bristol News published on 1880-03-30)
Article Link (from Shenandoah Herald published on 1880-03-24)