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Lynching of Cordella Stevenson

UNSOLVED1915Columbus, Mississippi, United States2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. LOC sanborn04448 001-1
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. LOC sanborn04448 001-1 — Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Cordella Stevenson was an African-American woman living in Columbus, Mississippi, who was killed by a mob of white men on December 15, 1915. The events began after a barn owned by a white man named Gabe Frank was burned down in a suspected arson attack. Stevenson's son was accused of setting the fire, despite reportedly not having been seen in the area for months.

In response to the accusation against her son, local police arrested Cordella Stevenson and her husband, Arch Stevenson, and held them in custody for six days. The stated purpose of the detention was to pressure her into revealing her son's whereabouts.

At around 10:00 PM on December 15, 1915, a mob of white men broke into the Stevensons' home. The mob gang raped Cordella Stevenson and then hanged her naked from a tree near the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Arch Stevenson managed to escape on foot and fled into Columbus, but he was unable to obtain help or assistance for his wife.

No one was ever arrested in connection with Stevenson's rape and murder, and the case remains unsolved in terms of legal accountability, with no individuals charged or convicted.

This case is presented as historical record. No perpetrators were ever identified, charged, or convicted for the assault and killing of Cordella Stevenson.

Key facts

Victims
Arch Stevenson, Cordella Stevenson
Date
1915
Location
Columbus, Mississippi, United States
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1915-12

    A barn owned by a white man, Gabe Frank, was burned down in Columbus, Mississippi, in a suspected arson attack; Cordella Stevenson's son was accused despite reportedly not being seen in the area for months.

  2. 1915-12

    Local police arrested Cordella Stevenson and her husband Arch Stevenson and held them for six days to pressure her into revealing her son's whereabouts.

  3. 1915-12-15

    At approximately 10:00 PM, a mob of white men broke into the Stevensons' home, gang raped Cordella Stevenson, and hanged her naked from a tree near the Mobile and Ohio Railroad; Arch Stevenson escaped on foot into Columbus but could not obtain aid.

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People

  • Arch Stevenson

    VICTIM

    Husband of Cordella Stevenson; was detained alongside her for six days and escaped the mob on the night of the lynching but was unable to obtain aid for her.

  • Cordella Stevenson

    VICTIM

    African-American woman sexually assaulted and lynched by a mob of white men in Columbus, Mississippi, on December 15, 1915.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. LOC sanborn04448 001-1

    other document

    Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. LOC sanborn04448 001-1

    Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Source

Places

Columbus, Mississippi, United States

33.4956, -88.4273

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Cordella Stevenson, an African-American woman, was sexually assaulted and lynched by a mob of white men in Columbus, Mississippi, on December 15, 1915, after being held for days over an arson accusation against her son.
Where did the crime happen?
Columbus, Mississippi, United States.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Mississippi

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICLynching of Cordella StevensonWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — search.worldcat.orgsearch.worldcat.org · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 07, 2026