Benjamin Hance
MSA SC 3520-13737
Lynched in Leonardtown, June 17, 1887
Biography:
Benjamin Hance, a young African American man, was lynched June 17, 1887 for attempting to assault a young white woman named Alice Bailey. The lynching took place in Leonardtown, St. Mary's County. Hance was accused of trying to assault Alice Bailey while she walked along a road towards Stone's wharf. According to the June 2, 1887 edition of St. Mary's Beacon, Hance met Bailey while walking along the road and asked her for directions to a landing. He then made several indecent proposals to Bailey and she begun to run from him. He caught her and threw her to the ground. He soon gave up the struggle because he thought Bailey's cries and fits of resistance would bring attention to the assault.
Benjamin Hance was arrested and taken to the Leonardtown jail to await his trial. Around two o'clock Friday morning a party of men broke into the jail. The men apprehended Hance and took him about a mile from the jail and hung him from a tree. Mr. C. John Clements was on guard that morning. He stated that on Friday morning, June 17, several men came to the jail doors claiming to have a prisoner. The men then admitted they had come for Benjamin Hance. When the guard refused to give up his keys to the party the lynchers broke in the jail door. The men cautioned Clements to stay in in his room and rushed upstairs to Hance's cell. It took the men 30 minutes to break into Hance's cell, but when they did Hance went along with them in silence.
Hance was taken to a locust tree in the Court House yard. However, the men did not lynch him there because of prompting by Dr. John T. Spalding. Spalding claimed hanging Hance in front of his home would further injure his sick wife. The men then took Hance to the outskirts of town and hung him form a witch hazel tree near the farm of the late John F. Wathen. Before Hance was hanged it was reported that the lynchers asked him of his guilt. The men claim he responded that he was guilty and ought to be hung for his deed. According to witnesses he prayed for God to have mercy upon his soul.
The lynchers believed that lynching Hance would keep Alice Bailey from the embarrassment of having to testify in court. A jury of inquest was called to hear testimony about the lynching. Hance's body was cut down and examined by Dr. Charles Comb. Mr. and Mrs. Clements testified that they heard the voices of Sherkliff Bailey, the father of Alice Bailey, and W.V. Waters. Joe Dorsey, an African American living in the town testified he saw Mr. Waters' horse pass him on the street. Another witness, Mr. A.D. Kaiser, testified to the same accusations. Other witnesses claim to have heard rumors that Hance would be lynched.
Hance's body was discovered by Mr. Peter H. Abell.
The jail's guard was unable to report the incident to the Sheriff right
away because several of the lynchers held him at gun point after Hance
was taken from the jail. The guard was not charged with any
wrongdoing. Regardless of testimony implicating several citizens
to the lynching there was no report found on the outcome of the testimony.
Many citizens of Maryland felt the courts purposely chose to ignore the
testimony in order to protect the lynchers. Benjamin Hance's remains
were buried at St. Aloysius's burial ground.
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