Lynching of William Johnson

Background

William Johnson was an African American man employed at a work camp associated with the construction of the Thebes Bridge in Thebes, Illinois, a structure being built across the Mississippi River. In late April 1903, Johnson was accused of raping the 10-year-old daughter of a man named Branson Davis at a residence located about half a mile east of Santa Fe, Illinois (an area now known as Fayville).

The Lynching

On April 26, 1903, a mob of local farmers gathered with the intent of apprehending Johnson. By the time the mob assembled, Johnson had already been taken into police custody. The farmers overwhelmed the officers holding him and took Johnson by force. The mob transported him back to Thebes, near the site of the bridge under construction, and hanged him from an oak tree. After Johnson died, members of the mob fired shots into his body.

Attack on the Work Camp

Following the hanging, the mob turned its attention to the work camp where Johnson had lived. Mob members exchanged gunfire with people at the camp, injuring several workers. The farmers then set fire to the camp before dispersing. Days later, on May 1, 1903, the mob raided a second work camp and forcibly dispersed the Black workers present there.

Response and Aftermath

Illinois Governor Richard Yates offered a $200 bounty for the arrest of individuals responsible for the lynching. Six men were subsequently arrested in connection with the killing, but they were released after authorities determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed against them. No one was ultimately convicted for the lynching of William Johnson or for the related attacks on the work camps.

A second independent citation corroborating these events has not been located; readers and reviewers should treat this account as provisional pending additional sourcing.