Lynching of Eli Pigot

Overview

Eli Pigot was a Black man who was lynched in Brookhaven, Mississippi, in 1908 by a mob of white people. He had been accused of raping a woman identified as Miss Williams and was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi. Authorities subsequently transferred him to Brookhaven to stand trial for the alleged offense.

The Escort and the Lynching

Pigot was accompanied to Brookhaven by the Capitol Light Guards, a military unit that had been directed by Mississippi Governor Noel to protect him. The group arrived in Brookhaven at 7:00 AM on February 10, 1908. A crowd had gathered before daylight to meet the train carrying Pigot. When the train arrived, a mob assaulted the military guard, seized Pigot, and hanged him. The guard reportedly made some attempt to protect Pigot, firing shots that produced minor wounds on two members of the mob, but they were unable to prevent the lynching.

Composition of the Mob and Aftermath

The mob was said to include many prominent citizens, particularly those from near Ruth, Mississippi, where the alleged assault had occurred. According to the account, Judge Wilkinson—who had been scheduled to preside over Pigot's trial—along with several white members of the jury, allegedly participated in the killing. Following the lynching, most press coverage focused on praising the military guard of 58 men who had failed to protect Pigot, rather than on the killing itself.

The mob made no attempt to conceal their identities and did not wear masks, despite the lynching occurring in front of an estimated 2,000 witnesses, including many officers of the court. Despite this highly public nature of the crime, no one was ever held accountable for Pigot's murder.

Burial

After his death, Pigot's relatives did not claim his body, and he was buried in the potter's field on the county farm.