Killing of George Hughes in Texas in 1930

Incident

Case summary

George Hughes, age 41, a farm laborer, was killed in 1930 by a mob in Sherman, Grayson County, Texas. Hughes, accused of attacking a white woman, was in the courthouse for his trial. Ostensibly to protect him from the mob, prison officials locked him in a vault. The mob, unable to reach him, burned down the courthouse building and lynched his dead body. According to newspaper accounts, the size of the mob swelled into the thousands. The mob rioted, terrorizing the Black section of Sherman and burning most of the neighborhood to the ground.

Victim(s):

George Hughes


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

Roy Allen

Jimmie Arnold

C. E. Briggs

Leslie Cole

Jeff Jones

Jim May

J. B. McGasland

Alvin Morgan

Leonard O'Neal

Webb Purdon

Horace Reynolds

Jess Roper

Bill Sofey

Cleo Wolfe

Perpetrator group type: mob

Date of incident: 1930-05-09
Location: Sherman, Grayson County, Texas
Location type: public space - urban
Allegation against victim: raping a white woman; dispute over a debt owed to Hughes

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: yes
Finding of no legal responsibility: [ ]

Criminal process
Arrest: yes
Charge/indictment/information: no
Grand jury: yes
Trial: yes
Conviction: yes
Sentence: 2 years

DOJ case ID:

158260


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
federal agency records
news articles - closed
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