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Miles (or Relius) Phifer and Robert Crosky were lynched in Montgomery, Alabama for allegedly assaulting a white woman.


Lynching of Phifer and Crosky

In August or September of 1919 Miles Phifer and Robert Crosky were arrested over allegations they assaulted two white women in separate incidents in
Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...
. ''The Gadsden Daily Times-News'' reported that the two had confessed to the assaults. A mob had formed and a concerned citizen notified Alabama's Governor Thomas Kilby that there might be a lynching. Kilby ordered the two to be transferred to the relative safety of prison in
Wetumpka, Alabama Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the f ...
. On September 29, 1919, the sheriff and his deputies were transporting Phifer and Crosky when they were stopped by a white mob, of about 25 masked men. The deputies stood by as the men pulled the two out of the car. They were taken into the wilderness out of
Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...
and told to run. As Phifer and Crosky sprinted away from the mob they were gunned down. Croskey was instantly killed, but Phifer lived for a few hours. Phifer and Crosky were discharged soldiers and Phifer was still in his uniform when he was killed.


Lynching of John Temple

On 2 AM on September 30, 1919, a day after the lynching of Phifer and Crosky, John Temple was lynched in a hospital for allegedly fatally wounding Policeman Barbaree.ODMP memorial John B Barbaree
/ref> The two events were not linked.


Aftermath

These lynchings were one of several incidents of civil unrest that are now known as the American Red Summer of 1919. Attacks on black communities and white oppression spread to more than three dozen cities and counties. In most cases, white mobs attacked African American neighborhoods. In some cases, black community groups resisted the attacks, especially in
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and
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Most deaths occurred in rural areas during events like the
Elaine race riot The Elaine massacre occurred on September 30–October 2, 1919 at Hoop Spur in the vicinity of Elaine in rural Phillips County, Arkansas. As many as several hundred African Americans and five white men were killed. Estimates of deaths made in ...
in
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, where an estimated 100 to 240 blacks and 5 whites were killed. Other major events of Red Summer were the Chicago race riot and Washington D.C. Race Riot, which caused 38 and 39 deaths, respectively. Both riots had many more non-fatal injuries and extensive property damage reaching up into the millions of dollars.


Lynchings in Alabama during 1919


See also

*
African American veterans lynched after WWI This article focuses on African Americans who were lynched after World War I. After young African-American men volunteered to fight against the Central Powers, during World War I, many of them returned home but instead of being rewarded for thei ...
*
Washington race riot of 1919 The Washington race riot of 1919 was civil unrest in Washington, D.C. from July 19, 1919, to July 24, 1919. Starting July 19, white men, many in the armed forces, responded to the rumored arrest of a black man for rape of a white woman with four ...
*
Mass racial violence in the United States In the broader context of racism against Black Americans and racism in the United States, mass racial violence in the United States consists of ethnic conflicts and race riots, along with such events as: * Racially based communal conflicts betwe ...
*
List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States Listed are major episodes of civil unrest in the United States. This list does not include the numerous incidents of destruction and violence associated with various sporting events. 18th century *1783 – Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, June 20 ...


Bibliography

Notes References * * * * * * - Total pages: 452 {{Lynching in the United States 1919 in Alabama 1919 in military history 1919 riots in the United States 1919 murders in the United States September 1919 events African-American history between emancipation and the civil rights movement Lynching deaths in Alabama Racially motivated violence against African Americans Red Summer Riots and civil disorder in Alabama White American riots in the United States