At the end of August, 1919, a riot broke out in downtown Knoxville. The cause of the riot centered around the arrest and holding of Maurice Mays, a black man accused of murdering of Bertie Lindsey, a white woman.
I won't be retelling that story or the story of the riot here. The Beck Cultural Exchange Center published an overview of the riot.
PBS presented a video on the riot, Knoxville's Red Summer | The Riot of 1919.
From official records I can only find that two people died during the riot, although newspaper reports that many were were killed.
I'm sure that scores were were injured.
News spread quickly around the South and then the whole country.
So, who were the two men that were killed?
According to his death certificate Joseph S. Etter, died August 30, 1919. Cause of Death? Gun shot wound during riot.
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"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DW29-BP8?cc=1417505&wc=34D9-SP8%3A1580568501 : 11 October 2018), 004183649 > image 1775 of 2197; Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. |
The Knoxville Sentinel quickly printed his funeral notice.
Joseph S. Etter is buried at Eastport Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. His memorial at FindAGrave.
According to his death certificate James W. Payne died on August 31, 1919. Cause of Death? Gun shot wounds. More details can be found in the story in The Journal and Tribune on September 1, 1919.
James Payne is buried at Big Hill Cemetery in Providence, Kentucky. His memorial at FindAGrave.
Two deaths too many.
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"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DW29-1Z3?cc=1417505&wc=34D9-SP8%3A1580568501 : 11 October 2018), 004183649 > image 1782 of 2197; Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. |
James Payne is buried at Big Hill Cemetery in Providence, Kentucky. His memorial at FindAGrave.
Two deaths too many.
newspaper images clipped from newspapers.com
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