George Briscoe
MSA SC 3520-13731
Lynched in Magothy, November 26, 1884
Biography:
George Briscoe was lynched by a party of masked men at New Bridge on Wednesday, November 26,1884. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon by detectives Droste and Siebold who released him to Justice Jacobs in Jacksonville. He was charged with robbing Anne Arundle resident George Schievenent on November 18th of that year. At Briscoe's hearing, witnesses claim Briscoe was offensive and hostile to the officials and others present. When Justice Jacobs committed him to jail Briscoe asked what right did the Justice have to put him into jail? This angered the crowd and there were threats to lynch Briscoe on the spot. After the hearing Briscoe was put in a constable to be transported to Annapolis.
At the New Bridge, which crosses over the Magothy River, Briscoe's constable was surrounded by a large group of masked men. They took Briscoe and hung him from a nearby tree. Residents of the area of Magothy were angry over the large number of robberies that had occurred in the neighborhood of Stoney Creek. Many believed Briscoe to be the culprit. Residents claimed that Briscoe always had plenty of cash, but no job. When he was incarcerated for robbing Richard Phelps the robberies ceased for that period of time.
Deputy Boone reported to The Sun on November 29, 1884 that he was escorting Briscoe to Annapolis when he was stopped by a swarm of men. The constable had just crossed over New Bridge. Boone was threatened with a double barreled shot gun. The men told him to leave the carriage and quickly get out of the neighborhood. When he hesitated they threatened him again with violence and dragged Officer Wells from the carriage. Both officers then left the scene. They could not identify those responsible for the lynching because the men were masked. The officers did hear the lynchers ask Briscoe, "You're an innocent looking son of a gun, ain't you ?" Briscoe replied, "I don't know whether I am or not".
The body of George Briscoe was found by William P. Parsons on his way to Jacobsville that Thursday morning. A jury of inquest was called and they listened to the testimony of Officers Boone and Parsons. The court ruled that on November 27th Briscoe was hung by the neck and died of strangulation by persons unknown to the jury. Briscoe's father insisted that because his son was in the hands of the state when he died the state should bury him. His remains wre buried at the foot of a dogwood tree in a plain pine coffin. There was no reported official opposition to the lynching.
Link
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