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William Andrews Lynching draft

William Andrews was a local African American laborer who was lynched by a white mob in Princess Anne, Maryland on June 9, 1897. William Andrews was tried, convicted and lynched all in one day for being accused of assaulting Mrs. Benjamin T. Kelley.

Details of the crime

On the afternoon of May 5, 1897 Mrs. Benjamin T. Kelley claims that local African American laborer William Andrews, aka “Cuba” assaulted her in Marion, Somerset County. Following these claims, Andrews was immediately arrested for the alleged attack on Kelley. He was moved to Baltimore City jail for protection from “lynch mobs” while awaiting trial. Around 11:00 am on June 9, Andrews was brought to Main Street in Princess Anne, Somerset County where he would be found guilty of the charges against him. Judge Henry Page sentenced Andrews to execution by hanging at the state’s request.

Lynching ]

Once court adjourned, a large mob began to grow outside the courthouse making it impossible for the officers to transfer Andrews to the nearby Somerset County jail. While handcuffed, William Andrews was ripped away from the arms of the officers by an infuriated mob that cheered after hearing a guilty verdict. Andrews was brutally kicked, punched, and beaten with all sorts of weapons until the crowd of people were satisfied. After the crowd realized Andrew Williams was still alive they dragged his body to the property of Z. James Doughtery, where he was hanged on a walnut tree until he was finally pronounced deceased. His body remained on that walnut tree until around 2:30 p.m on June 9, 1897.

Other Victims

Racial Violence and lynchings have a sad history in the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The passages above relate to William Andrews, however he was not the only victim. Other victims include Matthew Williams, Isaac Kemp, James Reed, Garfield King, and George Armwood. Among these names are a plethora of other unknown lynchings that have taken place in the Eastern Shore of Maryland.