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Newberry Six lynchings

UNSOLVED1916Newberry, Alachua County, Florida3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Main Street Newberry looking east
Main Street Newberry looking east — Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

On the night of August 17, 1916, Newberry constable George Wynne attempted to serve a warrant on Boisey Long, an African-American man, on suspicion of stealing hogs. Accounts differ as to how the confrontation began and who fired first, but Long shot and killed Wynne and wounded another man, L. G. Harris, who had accompanied the constable. Long fled the scene but surrendered to authorities two days later.

While Long was still at large, a posse organized by the local sheriff shot and killed Jim Dennis, described as a friend of Long; the sheriff stated Dennis had resisted arrest. Relatives and friends of Long were then rounded up and jailed on allegations of helping him escape. Those detained were Bert Dennis, Mary Dennis, Long's wife Stella Young, and two friends of Jim Dennis, Andrew McHenry and Reverend Josh Baskin.

On the morning of August 18, 1916, a mob estimated at 200 people removed the six detainees from jail and hanged them from a single oak tree about one mile from Newberry, at what was then the intersection of Newberry Lane and Alachua County Route 235; the tree no longer stands. Contemporary newspapers referred to the killings as "a lynching bee." News of the lynchings drew a large gathering of African-American residents, which reportedly alarmed white residents with fears of a "race war."

No arrests were ever made in connection with the six lynchings. The Ocala Evening Star reported a rumor that a coroner's jury had returned findings attributing the deaths to freak accidents, such as running into a barbed wire fence and bleeding to death, or falling from a tree and choking or breaking a neck. Rebecca Fitzsimmons, an archivist at the Matheson History Museum, has noted that legal documents relating to the lynchings have not been located.

Separately, Boisey Long was tried on September 7, 1916, convicted by an all-white jury after seven minutes of deliberation, and sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging in the yard of the Alachua County jail on October 27, 1916. A man who had reportedly voiced approval of Wynne's killing was forced to leave town.

Historian Patricia Hilliard-Nunn has suggested that as many as nine people may have been lynched or shot to death in connection with these events. In 2018, the Alachua County Historical Commission presented research concluding that at least 43 lynchings occurred in Alachua County during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 2019, a historical marker was unveiled in remembrance of the six lynching victims.

Key facts

Victims
Josh Baskin, George Wynne, Andrew McHenry, Jim Dennis, Stella Young, L. G. Harris, Mary Dennis, Bert Dennis
Date
1916
Location
Newberry, Alachua County, Florida
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1916-08-17

    Newberry constable George Wynne attempts to serve a warrant on Boisey Long; Wynne is shot and killed, and L. G. Harris is wounded.

  2. 1916-08-18

    A posse kills Jim Dennis; a mob of about 200 takes six detainees from jail and hangs them from a single tree near Newberry.

  3. 1916-08-19

    Boisey Long surrenders to authorities.

  4. 1916-09-07

    Boisey Long is tried and convicted by an all-white jury after seven minutes of deliberation, and sentenced to death.

  5. 1916-10-27

    Boisey Long is executed by hanging in the yard of the Alachua County jail.

  6. 2018

    The Alachua County Historical Commission presents research concluding at least 43 lynchings occurred in Alachua County in the 18th and 19th centuries.

  7. 2019-04

    A historical marker is unveiled in remembrance of the Newberry lynching victims.

Best coverage

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People

  • Boisey Long

    CONVICTED

    African-American man convicted of killing constable George Wynne; tried September 7, 1916, and executed October 27, 1916

  • Josh Baskin

    VICTIM

    Reverend and friend of Jim Dennis; one of six people taken from jail and hanged by a mob on August 18, 1916

  • George Wynne

    VICTIM

    Newberry constable shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on Boisey Long

  • Andrew McHenry

    VICTIM

    Friend of Jim Dennis; one of six people taken from jail and hanged by a mob on August 18, 1916

  • Jim Dennis

    VICTIM

    Friend of Boisey Long shot and killed by a posse; sheriff said he resisted arrest

  • Stella Young

    VICTIM

    Boisey Long's wife; one of six people taken from jail and hanged by a mob on August 18, 1916

  • L. G. Harris

    VICTIM

    Wounded while accompanying constable George Wynne during the attempted arrest of Boisey Long

  • Mary Dennis

    VICTIM

    One of six people taken from jail and hanged by a mob on August 18, 1916

  • Bert Dennis

    VICTIM

    One of six people taken from jail and hanged by a mob on August 18, 1916

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

Archival records

  • Cemetery, Pleasant Plain United Methodists Church, Jonesville, Florida

    archival location

    Cemetery, Pleasant Plain United Methodists Church, Jonesville, Florida

    Credit: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

  • Main Street Newberry looking east

    archival location

    Main Street Newberry looking east

    Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Source

  • The Newberry Lynchings of 1916 Marker 1

    archival location

    The Newberry Lynchings of 1916 Marker 1

    Credit: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

  • The Newberry Lynchings of 1916 Marker 2

    archival location

    The Newberry Lynchings of 1916 Marker 2

    Credit: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Places

Newberry, Alachua County, Florida

29.6513, -82.5980

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
In August 1916, a mob of about 200 people in Newberry, Florida, took six Black residents from jail and hanged them from a single tree after a Black man, Boisey Long, killed a white constable attempting to arrest him; no one was ever arrested for the killings.
Where did the crime happen?
Newberry, Alachua County, Florida.
Who was convicted?
Boisey Long (African-American man convicted of killing constable George Wynne; tried September 7, 1916, and executed October 27, 1916).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Florida

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICNewberry Six lynchingsWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — wuft.orgwuft.org · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — gainesville.comgainesville.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

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