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Solved case · 1922
Also known as James Harvey and Joe Jordan lynching · James Harvey and Joe Jordan killing
The short answer
James Harvey and Joe Jordan, two African-American men convicted in a rape case with a deeply flawed trial, were seized by a mob of about 50 people and lynched on July 1, 1922, in Liberty County, Georgia, while being transported by police. An investigation implicated law enforcement in the abduction, and 22 men were indicted, but five defendants, including the local chief of police, were acquitted.
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Suggest coverage for Lynching of James Harvey and Joe JordanThe case file
In the summer of 1921, James Harvey and Joe Jordan, two African-American men, traveled through the Deep South and stopped in Wayne County, Georgia, to perform agricultural work. After a dispute with their white employer over unpaid wages, the employer's wife accused the two men of assaulting and raping her. Three days later, Harvey and Jordan were transferred to a jail in Savannah and tried in absentia in Wayne County, where they were convicted and sentenced to death. Their court-appointed counsel made no effort to gather evidence or testimony on their behalf.
Harvey's uncle wrote to the national office of the NAACP, which asked its Savannah branch to investigate. The NAACP hired a white Jesup attorney, James A. Harolds, to represent Harvey and Jordan and to seek a retrial on the grounds that their constitutional rights had been violated, including denial of the ability to call witnesses or participate in jury selection. The Supreme Court of Georgia upheld the conviction despite a stay of execution, and the men were set to be executed on May 15, 1922. After white women in Wayne County petitioned for a new trial citing new evidence, another stay was issued, but the petition was ultimately rejected by the local judge, resetting the execution for June 30, 1922. Defense efforts turned to Georgia Governor Thomas W. Hardwick, who granted a 30-day reprieve on June 30. The Wayne County sheriff reportedly responded to the governor's order with dismay.
On July 1, 1922, one day after the reprieve, Harvey and Jordan were being transported by a deputy sheriff from Jesup to the Savannah jail when a mob of approximately 50 men seized them in Liberty County and hanged them near a roadside. Governor Hardwick pledged a reward for the capture of those responsible and directed the state solicitor general to bring the matter before a grand jury.
The NAACP's Savannah branch investigated the killings, visiting the scene, interviewing witnesses, and gathering evidence, with financial support from the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. The organization also arranged for Harvey and Jordan to receive a proper burial. According to multiple witnesses interviewed by the NAACP, the two police officers escorting the men had waited at the lynching site for several hours before the mob arrived, indicating their complicity. The killings drew condemnation from both Black residents and some prominent white citizens, as it was reportedly the first lynching in coastal Georgia in over two decades. A local Methodist minister in Liberty County publicly condemned the lynching and circulated a letter alleging complicity by Wayne County officials.
On September 20, 1922, a Liberty County grand jury indicted the Wayne County deputy sheriff, the city marshal, the marshal's brother, and two Liberty County residents in connection with the lynching. In total, 22 men were indicted for the killings. On February 23, 1923, five defendants — including Chief of Police I.W. Rhoden — were acquitted.
7 dated entries · 1921–1923
James Harvey and Joe Jordan begin agricultural work in Wayne County, Georgia, later disputing wages with their employer.
Following the wage dispute, the employer's wife accuses Harvey and Jordan of assault and rape; the men are jailed in Savannah and tried in absentia in Wayne County, convicted, and sentenced to death.
Scheduled execution date for Harvey and Jordan after the Supreme Court of Georgia upholds their conviction; a stay is granted.
Rescheduled execution date; Governor Thomas W. Hardwick grants a 30-day reprieve.
Harvey and Jordan are seized by a mob of about 50 people in Liberty County, Georgia, while being transported by police, and are lynched by hanging.
A Liberty County grand jury indicts several men, including a Wayne County deputy sheriff and city marshal, in connection with the lynching; 22 men are indicted in total.
Five defendants, including Chief of Police I.W. Rhoden, are acquitted for the lynching.
3 named in this file
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
African-American man lynched on July 1, 1922, in Liberty County, Georgia, after being convicted in a flawed trial.[2]
African-American man lynched on July 1, 1922, in Liberty County, Georgia, after being convicted in a flawed trial.[2]
Chief of Police indicted in connection with the lynching; acquitted on February 23, 1923.[2]
2 cited
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
PressThe New York TimesAccessed Jul 7, 2026
EncyclopedicWikipediaAccessed Jul 7, 2026
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