Harry Ardell – There is no extant biographical information about Harry Ardell. He was a white lynching victim, one of about 50 white victims between 1880 and 1950.  In contemporary newspapers, he’s referred to as both “Harry” and “Charles” Ardell. While some claim that his real name was Harry Forrest, no such Harry Forrest living in Shepherdsville has been found or any living in Pittsburgh, where a few newspapers claimed he lived at the time. It’s reported that Ardell had a father in Pittsburgh and a sister in Illinois. No information about Ardell’s job or level of education has been found.

The circumstances of the lynching death of Harry Ardell went as follows.

On their way to Louisville, Harry Ardell and Thomas Mitchell encountered Joseph Lavine (also spelled Levin and Levine) on June 20, 1889. Allegedly Ardell shot Lavine, who died of his wounds a few days later. Both Mitchell and Ardell were arrested and taken to the Bullitt county jail.  A mob formed at the jail on June 26. There are conflicting reports about what happened next.  Some newspapers reported that H.C. Bowman, the jailer, stood up to the mob but was overcome after the mob threatened to harm his family.  Or newspapers write that Bowman allowed the mob into the jail to take Ardell. The mob hanged later that night.

Lavine was Jewish, and since several Jewish farm communities were established in Kansas in the late 19th century, the summary of these events was widely reported in Kansas. The Louisville Courier Journal called the mob that stormed the Bullitt county jail “regulators” but it is unclear if the mob was comprised of militia members or was affiliated with the KKK.

Thomas Mitchell, who was spared by the mob, was charged with the murder of Joseph Lavine in November 1889.  His lawyers requested a change of venue out of  Bullitt County, and his trial took place in  Bardstown Kentucky. In June 1890, a jury found Mitchell guilty of murder and sentenced him to life in prison. According to Findagrave.com, Mitchell’s legal team appealed the conviction.  It was rejected by the Kentucky County of Appeals.

News Article Transcriptions

Learn more by reading the news article transcriptions.

For more information about Black and Jewish settlements in Kansas, see the following:

Cohen, Emily. “The Forgotten History of 19th Century Black and Jewish Settlements in Western Kansas.” Jewish Women, Amplified (blog). Jewish Women’s Archive. September 10, 2020.

Gribben, Brian. “Kansas Heritage: Jewish Colonies in Kansas.” Forsyth Library. Fort Hays State University. Last modified April 25, 2022, https://fhsuguides.fhsu.edu/kansasheritage/jewishcolonies

Location of the Lynching

Newspaper Articles

References

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Citation

Alfaya, Martin. “Harry Ardell.” Documented Biographies. Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky. May 15, 2023. http://drvk.createuky.net/biographies/harry-ardell/