There is no extant information about Lovern to date.
In early September 1905, Moses Lovern of Williamson, West Virginia was arrested for assaulting James Butcher, a well-off businessman. Convicted of the crime, he began serving a 60 day sentence later in the month. On September 24th, in the middle of the night a group calling themselves the “White Ribboners” broke into the jail and kidnapped Lovern and his white cellmate Thomas Blackburn. The usual guard for the jail had taken a day off and the mob of around 20 men took full advantage of this situation. The White Ribboners broke into the jail, found Lovern and Blackburn’s cell, and threatened the two with a Winchester rifle. After they were bound and gagged, Lovern and Blackburn were thrown into a boat and rowed outside of West Virginia and into Pike County, Kentucky. After arriving in a secluded location, the mob grabbed Lovern, stripped him naked, and tied him to a tree. The mob then whipped and stoned Lovern to death. Blackburn went unharmed. The White Ribboners then rowed the men back to the Williamson jail where they hauled both Lovern and Blackburn back into the cell. Lovern’s body was not found until the next morning when the morning guard returned to the jail. Blackburn told police that he recognized eight of the men that had kidnapped him and Lovern the night before. Though a few newspapers warned that warrants were pending, none of the mob members were arrested or tried in court.
Location of the Lynching
References
- “Beaten and Stoned to Daeth,” The Caucasian, September 28, 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Race News,” The Colorado Statesman, September 30, 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Mob Inhumanly Beats a Negro Prisoner,” The Fairmont West Virginian, September 25, 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Negro Whipped to Death,” Reporter and Farmer, September 28, 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
- “Negro Whipped to Death. Mob Takes Man From Cell and Gives Him Fatal Beating,” Oakes Republican, September 28, 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress.
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Citation
Smith, Cameron. “Moses Lovern.” Documented Biographies. Documenting Racial Violence in Kentucky. July 21, 2022. https://drvk.createuky.net/biographies/moses-lovern/