Victim ID: VA1882100201
Victim Name: James Rhodes
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown
Job: Unknown
Method of Death: Hanged
Accusation: Murder of a white family (Nossie or Massie)
Date: 1882-10-02
City: Charlottesville
Mob Composition: 150 armed men
Summary: James Rhodes, a white man living in Albemarle County, was lynched on October 2nd, 1882. He was accused of killing a white couple.
On March 7th, 1882, James Rhodes, often reported as Jim in the newspapers, allegedly killed Mr. and Mrs. John O. Massie, a white couple in Albemarle County. Court records indicate that a Coroner’s jury identified James Rhodes and his brother Walter Lee as the assailants that killed John and Elizabeth Massie. An arrest warrant was issued for the two brothers; while Walter Lee was arrested on March 9th, his brother James could not be found. After months of hiding, James Rhodes was arrested in Tennessee at the end of September, and then transferred to the jail in Charlottesville (Staunton Spectator). On the night of October 2nd, 1882, between 12 and 1 AM, a masked mob of about 40 to 50 armed men demanded the local jailer, Mr. Wright, to give them the keys to James Rhodes’ cell. After being threatened, Wright gave the keys to the mob and Rhodes was soon taken to a large oak tree on Mr. T.L. Farish’s farm, about half-way between Sinclair’s blacksmith shop and the Free Bridge in Charlottesville, where he was hanged (Alexandria Gazette). Soon after, Capt. Woods, the Commonwealth Attorney, arrived on the spot of the lynching and immediately demanded the mob to stop; however, “the lynchers had formed a line across the road, and with guns and revolvers pointed at the bystanders refused to allow any one to pass. There were about 150 persons present, fully half of whom were mounted” (Alexandria Gazette).
On October 28th, 1882, Walter Lee Rhodes, James’ brother, was convicted of second degree murder for the killing of John and Elizabeth Massie. Rhodes was sentenced to eleven years in the penitentiary (Alexandria Gazette).
Archival Sources: Commonwealth Cause
News Coverage: Alexandria Gazette, National Tribune, Rockingham Register, Staunton Spectator
Article Link (from Alexandria Gazette published on 1882-10-02)
Article Link (from Alexandria Gazette published on 1882-10-03)
Article Link (from Alexandria Gazette published on 1882-10-30)
Article Link (from National Tribune published on 1882-10-05)
Article Link (from Staunton Spectator published on 1882-09-26)
Article Link (from Staunton Spectator published on 1882-10-03)