David Jones was an African-American man who was lynched in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

on March 25, 1872 after being arrested as a suspect in a killing. He was mortally wounded while in jail, shot twice in the back while resisting white mob members who came to take him out; the whites pulled him into the Public Square and hanged him from a post outside the police station, with a crowd of an estimated 2,000 in attendance. The sheriff interrupted the hanging and took Jones down. Taken back to the jail, Jones died of his injuries on April 9, 1872.

Lynching

David Jones, an African-American man, was accused of murdering white man Henry Murray, who died in March 1872. Jones was arrested and taken to the county jail in Nashville. At 7pm on March 25, 1872, a mob met outside the

Maxwell House Hotel The Maxwell House Hotel was a major hotel in downtown Nashville. Because of its stature, seven US Presidents and other prominent guests stayed there over the years. It was built by Colonel John Overton Jr. and named for his wife, Harriet (Maxwell) ...

in Downtown Nashville. By 9pm, they walked to the jail, where they broke into Jones's cell, shot him twice when he resisted, and put a

halter A halter or headcollar is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears (behind the poll), and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope is attached. On smalle ...

around his head. They took him to the public square and hanged him on the gas post outside the police station. A crowd of 2,000 onlookers surrounded Jones. Sheriff Donaldson interrupted the hanging, taking Jones down from the post and carrying him back to the police station. The crowd dispersed at 10pm. Former Nashville mayor and Tennessee representative Major

Richard Boone Cheatham Richard Boone Cheatham (December 8, 1824 – May 7, 1877) was an American politician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He was serving as the mayor of Nashville, Tennessee during the opening years of the Civil War. After the war he served as alderman ...

asked the crowd to go home, and Nashville Mayor

Kindred Jenkins Morris Kindred Jenkins Morris (1819-1884) was an American Democratic politician. He served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689 ...

and Governor John C. Brown made their way to the scene. Governor Brown ordered a detachment of federal troops from Ash Barracks to act as a posse under the mayor's direction, and vowed to prosecute the lynchers. Jones was mortally wounded from the gunshots, and died of his injuries several days later on April 9, 1872. The ''Nashville Union and American'' suggested the lynching was perpetrated by "twenty or more negroes." The ''Chicago Tribune'' said the lynchers were thought to be "railroad men." After Jones died, in April 1872 Governor Brown offered a reward of $500 to anyone able to identify the lynchers.

Legacy

In June 2019 David Jones is to be acknowledged by his name on a memorial in downtown Nashville as a victim of lynching in 1872. A metropolitan coalition known as "We Remember Nashville," together with the

Equal Justice Initiative The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is a non-profit organization, based in Montgomery, Alabama, that provides legal representation to prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted of crimes, poor prisoners without effective representation, and oth ...

, plans events and education that week related to the four cases of lynching in the city in the late 19th century.

References

1872 deaths 1872 in Tennessee 1872 murders in the United States March 1872 events Lynching deaths in Tennessee African-American history in Nashville, Tennessee {{Tennessee-stub