There is little extant biographical information about Edwin Traughber. Newspapers of the time gave conflicting accounts of Traughber’s residential information and work history. Traughber was an African American man, living and working as a farmhand in Logan County, near the Tennessee border.
On the night of July 15, 1894 a group of masked men entered Traughber’s home, restrained him by tying his hands and feet, and dragged him to the property of G.W. Hunt. The men hanged Traugher and, according to the Maysville Public Daily Ledger, beat him with hickory sprouts while he was in his death throes. Edwin Traughber was one of three men lynched in a span of 48 hours. The others were Louis Laferdetta and Marion Howard.
Contemporary accounts differed on the reasons for Traughber’s murder. Some newspapers say he had an excellent character. The St. Louis Republican claimed that Traughber knew of the secret misdeeds committed by members of the Adairville community; the newspaper didn’t elaborate. The St. Paul Daily Globe and Indianapolis Journal alleged that Traughber poisoned his father’s family. The Minneapolis Irish Standard was the only newspaper to identify Traughber as African American.
Six men in the Adairville community were arrested for the lynching of Edwin Traughber. Prince McGuire turned state’s witness against the others, testifying he was forced to assist in the the hanging of Traughber. McGuire was taken to Bowling Green and placed in protective custody as a preemptive precaution against a mob. The other men were Moses Cook, Robert Henderson, William B. Proctor, Frederick P. Apgar, and Thomas Mackey. They were all held without bail. Mackey wasn’t tried with the other four men. In February of 1895, the trial of Apgar, Proctor, Henderson, and Cook resulted in a hung jury. According to the St. Louis Republican, seven of the jurors wanted to hang the men while the others were split between not-guilty and life in prison. No one was convicted of the murder of Edwin Traughber.
Location of the Lynching
References
- “A Terrible Deed,” Daily Public Ledger, February 15, 1895. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Held Without Bail,” Hopkinsville Kentuckian, August 17, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Traughber Lynching,” St. Louis Republican, February 23, 1895. Readex: America’s Historical Newspapers.
- “Edwin Traughber Murder,” St. Louis Republican, September 28, 1894. Readex: America’s Historical Newspapers.
- “Kentucky Lynching,” The Saint Paul Globe, July 17, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Lynched,” The Daily Democrat, July 17, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Found Hanging to a Limb,” The Indianapolis Journal, July 17, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Edwin Traughber, colored…,” The Irish Standard, July 21, 1894. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Charged With Murder,” The Muncie Morning News, August 3, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Bail Refused,” The Tennessean, August 15, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Vigilance Committee Organized by Citizens of South Kentucky Towns,” The Tennessean, August 28, 1894. Newspapers.com.
- “Two More Sensational Arrests…,” The Weekly Leader, August 16, 1894. Newspapers.com.
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Citation
Alfaya, Martin. “Edwin Traughber.” Documented Biographies. Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky. May 13, 2023. https://drvk.createuky.net/biographies/1891-1900/edwin-traughber/