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Amos Miller was a 23-year-old African-American man who was lynched from the balcony of the Williamson County Courthouse in
Amos Miller was a 23-year-old African-American man who was lynched from the balcony of the Williamson County Courthouse in Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city in and county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020, its population was 83,454 ...
, on August 10, 1888.
Lynching
Miller was accused of raping Mrs. Scott, a 50-year-old white woman, near Santa Fe inMaury County
Maury County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the Middle Tennessee region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 100,974. Its county seat is Columbia. Maury County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro ...
on June 9 or 10, 1888. Miller worked as a farmhand on the Scott farm in Maury County; the Scotts had a daughter. Miller, who was 23 years old, was described by '' The Daily American'' as "a heavy-built, very dark negro".
Miller was arrested on June 16 at the home of Marshal Roberts, where he allegedly tried to steal a hat after he had lost his. Miller reportedly confessed to the assault, and was jailed in Columbia. On the same day, a mob threatened to lynch him. As a result, he was transferred to the jail in Franklin on June 17, but once again, a mob threatened to lynch him. He was transferred to a third location: the Davidson County Jail in Nashville
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 the ...
.
Miller's trial was postponed twice because of these threats. On August 9, one day before the trial, a mob came from Maury County to Franklin. The next morning, some of the mob were in the public square, others on horseback, and others in the courthouse. Miller was taken to Franklin by train and entered the courthouse. His lawyers asked to change the location of the trial or postpone it again, but Judge McAlister rejected this and decided to continue the proceedings.
During the trial, a mob of 40 men entered the courthouse and, with other men who were already in the building, forced Miller out of the room. The men proceeded to hang Miller from the railings of the courthouse balcony at about 10 am.
Law enforcement reportedly were unable to identify the lynchers "notwithstanding the fact that not one of the mob was disguised".
See also
* False accusations of rape as justification for lynchingsReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Amos 1888 deaths 1888 murders in the United States 1888 in Tennessee August 1888 events Lynching deaths in Tennessee African-American history of Tennessee Franklin, Tennessee