Victim ID: VA1889060801
Victim Name: John Forbes
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 18
Job: Unknown
Method of Death: Hanged and riddled with bullets
Accusation: Criminal assault upon a white woman
Date: 1889-06-08
County Name: Nottoway
Mob Composition: Masked
Summary: About 50 masked men lynched John Forbes, an 18-year-old black man, on June 8th, 1889 in Nottoway, Virginia. Forbes was accused of a criminal assault against a white woman.
At around 3 o’clock on 10th May, 1889, John Forbes, John Cousins and John Davis broke into the drug store of Dr. J. W. Bryant in Crewe, Nottoway County, to steal 50 dollars, as reported in newspapers and official court documents. The same night, the house of John Moring was broken into and “a criminal assault committed on Mrs. Moring by the burglar” (Alexandria Gazette). Mrs. Moring woke up to find John Davis in her bed and screamed, waking Mr. Moring. The next day, John Davis and John Forbes were arrested. According to the Alexandria Gazette, “The feeling against the two prisoners has been very bitter in the county ever since the assault was committed on Mrs. Moring, and plans were twice laid for lynching them.” On May 28th, John Forbes and John Davis were taken from the Nottoway jail to Petersburg for safekeeping, as an armed mob seemed intent to lynch the two men the night before (Daily Times). On June 7th, John Forbes was arraigned for trial at Nottoway’s County Court, during which he confessed his crimes and was given a five year sentence in the penitentiary, while John Davis received a sentence of 18 years (Abingdon Standard). On Saturday, June 8th, 1889 at around 1 or 2 in the morning, about 50 masked men went to the county jail. The armed mob took Forbes from his cell, dragged him to the courthouse yard, and hanged him from the limb of a tree. His body was discovered the next morning riddled with 18 bullet holes. The Alexandria Gazette concluded its report noting that “Forbes was eighteen years of age and very black.”
Archival Sources: Commonwealth Cause John Forbes 1, Commonwealth Cause John Forbes 2, Commonwealth Cause John Forbes, John Davis and John Cousins, Commonwealth Cause John Forbes, John Davis and John Cousins (alias John W. Overton)
News Coverage: Abingdon Standard, Alexandria Gazette, Daily Times, Norfolk Virginian, Norfolk Weekly Landmark, Virginian-Pilot
Article Link (from Alexandria Gazette published on 1889-06-10)