Lynching of William Andrews

William Andrews, known as "Cuba," was a 17-year-old African American laborer in Somerset County, Maryland. On the afternoon of May 5, 1897, Mrs. Benjamin T. Kelley accused Andrews of raping her in Marion, Somerset County. Andrews was arrested shortly after the accusation and was subsequently moved to the Baltimore City jail, reportedly for his protection against threatened lynch mobs while he awaited trial.

On June 9, 1897, Andrews was brought to Main Street in Princess Anne, in Somerset County, where he pleaded guilty around 11:00 a.m. Judge Henry Page sentenced him to death by hanging at the request of the state, meaning Andrews was tried and sentenced on the same day.

Following the conclusion of court proceedings, a large crowd gathered outside the courthouse, preventing officers from transferring Andrews to the nearby Somerset County jail. While Andrews remained handcuffed, a mob—reported to have cheered upon hearing the guilty verdict—forcibly removed him from the custody of officers. He was beaten with fists and various weapons by members of the crowd. When the mob determined that Andrews was still alive, they dragged his body to property belonging to Z. James Dougherty, where he was hanged from a walnut tree until he was pronounced dead. His body remained hanging from the tree until approximately 2:30 p.m. that same day.

In 2021, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan posthumously pardoned Andrews along with 33 other lynching victims from the state's history.