Victim ID: VA1898062001
Victim Name: Mack Howlett
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: Unknown
Job: Unknown
Method of Death: Shot
Accusation: Murder of a white man
Date: 1898-06-20
City: Hillsvile
Mob Composition: Masked
Summary: A white farmer, Mack Howlett, was lynched by a masked mob on June 20th, 1898 in Hillsville, Carroll County, for murdering his neighbor, another white farmer.
On May 29th, 1898, Mack Howlett, often referred to as Howlet in newspapers, murdered his neighbor Carr Allen over a dispute about a road that divided their two small farms, about four miles west of Hillsville, in Carroll County (The Times). Howlett insisted on keeping a limb barricade across the road and Allen insisted it to be removed. Allen and his two sons went out to the road to begin removing the tree limbs. However, Howlet was waiting for him in a nearby tree. Allen began to cut the limbs and Howlet warned that, if he continued, he would shoot him. As Allen refused to stop, “Howlet fired at Allen, putting about twenty shot in his face and head, killing him instantly. He then fired the other barrel of his gun at the two sons of Allen, dangerously wounding both of them” (The Times). Howlet was arrested and taken to the Carroll County Jail in Hillsville. On the night of June 18th, 1898, there were rumors that a group of Allen’s friends was on its way to capture Mack Howlett, so Sheriff Mitchell moved him to the court house for safe-keeping (Richmond Dispatch). However, the mob did not come that night and Howlet was then moved back to his original cell. At 2AM on Monday, June 20th, 1898, the mob finally came. The group overtook the jailers and took the keys of the cell; the mob then escorted Howlett out of the cell with little resistance, therefore not needing to put a rope around his neck. It was in the jail-yard that Howlett began to resist the mob and fight back against the lynch mob. This was fatal for Howlett, as “The leader of the mob finally gave orders to shoot Howlet, which his followers did, filling him full of bullets” (Richmond Dispatch). His remains were redressed and sent to his wife and children the next morning. The Coroner concluded that Howlett died at the hands of unknown parties. According to the Richmond Dispatch, this was the first lynching to occur in Carroll County, reporting that “the people of Hillsville sustain the lynching of Howlet.”
For additional information about this lynching, you can read the academic article “A Courtroom Massacre: Politics and Public Sentiment in Progressive-Era Virginia” by Randal Hall.
News Coverage: Alexandria Gazette, Richmond Dispatch, Richmond Planet, Roanoke Times, The Times
Article Link (from Alexandria Gazette published on 1898-06-23)
Article Link (from Richmond Dispatch published on 1898-06-23)
Article Link (from Richmond Planet published on 1898-07-02)
Article Link (from The Times published on 1898-06-01)