William Potter’s lynching is extremely graphic and is strongly issued as a trigger warning.
Located in Livermore, KY, William Potter was accused of shooting Clarence (Frank) Mitchell, a 22-year-old white man in a barroom.
On April 20th, 1911, a local sheriff was hiding him in the Whitaker Opera House and Skating Rink basement and a mob of 50 men demanded his release and strung him above the stage at the Opera House.
Over 100 armed men and boys filled the theater and riddled his body with bullets. Those who wanted to partake in this horrific lynching paid a fee in order to empty their rounds onto William Potter. All the money collected from this lynching was donated to Frank Mitchell’s family. Spectators recall his body hanging in shreds onstage.
Location of the Lynching
References
- U.S. Census Bureau. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. “Schedule No. 1. – Population.” Patter, Wm. AncestryLibrary Edition.
- Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Death Records, 1852-1965. “William Potter.” AncestryLibrary Edition.
- “Audience Shoots A Negro Lynched In Opera House,” The Daily Notes, April 21, 1911. Newspapers.com.
- “Realism With A Vengeance At Livermore, Ky.,” The Freeman, April 29, 1911. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Livermore Citizens. Arrested On Indictments Of Murder For Alleged Participation In Lynching Of A M’Lean County Negro,” Lexington Leader, May 14, 1911. Newspapers.com.
- “18 Indicted For Lynching,” Lexington Leader, May 12, 1911. Newspapers.com.
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Citation
Belford, Shaina. “Ernest Baker.” Documented Biographies. Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky. December 3, 2021. https://drvk.createuky.net/biographies/william-potter/