James Reed
MSA SC 3520-13758
Lynched in Crisfield, July 28, 1907
Biography:
James Reed, an African American native to North Carolina was lynched by a mob of whites in Crisfield, Maryland on July 28, 1907. Reed resided in Maryland for only 8 months before his murder. The lynching was prompted by the murder of the night Chief of Police John H. Daugherty. Reed was accused of murdering Daugherty after Daugherty arrested Reed's business partner, known as Hildred. Hildred was arrested for selling whiskey. Chief Daugherty and an Officer Evans were walking their prisoner, Hildred, through the black business section of town. When Reed learned of the arrest he ran to a black owned billiard in the area and borrowed a 44 caliber revolver from the owner of the establishment, Lemuel Showers. He then followed Daugherty and Evans several blocks before firing at the officers. One bullet hit Daugherty in the back of the head, exiting above the right eye killing him instantaneously. Both Reed and the prisoner fled the scene and were immediately lost among the crowd of people.
Officers were dispatched to different parts of town in order to prevent Reed's escape. The search party believed Reed had secured a boat and exited town through the local waterways. However, it was reported that Reed stole a bicycle and followed the railroad out of town before reaching Coulbourne Creek. He then stole a small mail boat. Authorities chartered a fleet of small gasoline launchers to search the waterways for Reed. Reed was at least 10 miles outside of Crisfield before he was spotted by Captain Chelton of the Ercliff Vessel. Reed hid in the cabin of the mail boat. After several commands to surrender he jumped into the water and was shortly apprehended by Captain Chelton. The search party returned to Crisfield with Reed in custody. As they led Reed back towards the scene of the crime the mob became explosively violent. Reed was killed from blows to the head resulting in a fractured skull. His body of then hung from a telegraph pole as white citizens celebrated and photographed the lynching. His body was buried in the marsh. However, later that night angry whites dug up the body. His body was further abused and shot with bullets. Rioters then threw his body upon a bonfire. The rioters continued to run through the black community of town pulling people from their homes and beating them. They threatened several black men to leave town immediately.
The town council assembled the next afternoon in order to restore peace to the town. Black leaders and professionals attended the meeting to offer several resolutions to produce peace among blacks and whites in the community. They requested that all black owned places of amusement be closed in order to prevent blacks congregating or organizing a retaliation. Several black saloons and billiards were closed. Blacks were arrested for vagrancy. Councilmen accepted a motion that all blacks from out of town report to authorities and state their reason for being in town and ask permission to stay. Black delegates offered another resolution condemning Reed for the murder of Daugherty. They further stated that the black community would have joined in the search and that the lynching was justifiable. Black officials may have offered this resolution out of fear that future violence would plague the black community. Many blacks must have believed these resolutions would prove their willingness to cooperate thereby calming angry whites. However, several newspaper articles did not agree that the lynching was justifiable. The Afro-American -Ledger stated on August 3, 1907 that it was unbelievable that the better element among the colored people would endorse the lynching of James Reed. The Baltimore Sun stated:
"There are abundant reasons why the people of Crisfield should deplore the lynching of James Reed, a negro murderer. In the first place, the murderer would have been hanged by due process of law if the courts had been left to deal with him. Maryland justice lacks, in such cases, neither swiftness nor sureness...No mob is capable of administering the law in a way that will strengthen our civilization or add to the security of society. Lawlessness begets contempt of the law and of orderly procedure. The lyncher of today may be the victim of mob law tomorrow. The safety of every community rests upon the prompt and rigid enforcement of the law in courts of justice. To encourage Judge Lynch is to place a premium upon acts of violence and to expose every citizen to vengeance of a mob incapable of acting calm and discriminating justice. Let the courts of Maryland punish lawbreakers in Maryland." (The Baltimore Sun, 30 July 1907)There was no investigation into the lynching of James Reed as a crime. There was also no interference or sentiments about the event from a state level. Lemuel Showers, the owner of the revolver that Reed used to kill Chief Daugherty, was arrested after leaving town. He was jailed at Princess Anne jail to await his trial. No report was found on the outcome of his trial. Nor is there any report on the capture of the prisoner Hildred. It is believed he escaped during the chaos.
Link to Lynching Profile Questionnaire
by Dana Z. Sutton
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