Victim ID: VA1917081501
Victim Name: William Page
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 25
Job: Farm hand
Method of Death: Hanged and shot
Accusation: Attempted outrage of two white women
Date: 1917-08-15
City: Lilian
Mob Composition: About 500, masked

Summary: A posse of about 500 men hanged William Oscar Page, a black farm hand, in Lilian on August 15^th, 1917. Page was accused of attempting to assault two white women.

William Page found the daughter and niece of Captain Truitt, his employer, driving back home alone, when he allegedly grabbed them out of the buggy and dragged them down to the ground on August 15^th, 1917 (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Ms. Truitt fought back as Page tried to maintain control over her. While doing this, she was able to recognize William Page as her assailant. As her outcry persisted, she was able to frighten Page, causing him to flee the scene. The story of this attempt assault was soon told to Captain Truitt when the women returned home. Captain Truitt was able to find and capture Page, then he informed the local authorities to come and take him in Lilian. The sheriff and Commonwealth Attorney took William Page at a store in Lilian, but on their way to the jail they were halted by a large masked mob (Richmond Planet). Notwithstanding the plea from authorities, the posse took William Page to briefly see his mother and wife and then took him on car into a Black settlement. Once reached the settlement, the mob took William Page to a school for black children and hanged him in the schoolyard (Richmond Times-Dispatch). William Page’s death certificate indicates that he was about 25 years old and married and that his death occurred “between 11 pm Aug 15 & sunrise Aug 16, 1917.” Page’s wife and friends refused his body and did not participate to his burial (Ledger-Star). On August 17^th, 1917, a Coroner’s Inquisition was held to investigate the lynching; after examining several witnesses, the jury concluded that Page was “killed by hanging at the hands of unknown parties” (Richmond Times-Dispatch).

The Richmond Planet decried the lynching and doubted that Page attempted to assault a woman, as another woman was present and yelling in the vicinity; the Planet and several other newspapers called for the lynchers to be identified and punished. Governor Stuart ordered an investigation into the lynching of William Page (Richmond Planet). In late September, 1917, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that black farmers in Heathsville had started a boycott against a prominent white land owner that was believed to be one of the lynchers.

Archival Sources: Death Certificate

News Coverage: Alexandria Gazette, Ledger-Star, Richmond Planet, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Roanoke Times, World-News

Article Link (from Richmond Planet published on 1917-08-25)
Article Link (from Richmond Planet published on 1917-08-25)
Article Link (from Richmond Planet published on 1917-09-08)
Article Link (from Richmond Times-Dispatch published on 1917-08-17)
Article Link (from Richmond Times-Dispatch published on 1917-08-17)
Article Link (from Richmond Times-Dispatch published on 1917-08-27)
Article Link (from Richmond Times-Dispatch published on 1917-09-30)