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Unknown Johnston
About the Case
County: Bibb
Victim(s): Unknown Johnston
Sex of Victim(s):male
Case Status: Attempted
Blocton, Bibb County, Alabama
On June 2, 1887, an African American man recorded only as "Johnston" was lynched near Blocton Mines in Blocton, Bibb County, Alabama. Allegedly, he attempted to rape Mrs. Crawford, a white woman, when she was alone in her home on that day. When she cried out for help and tried to fight him off, some white men within earshot rushed to the house and quickly subdued Johnston. Crawford identified Johnston as her assailant, pointing to his clothes which she had claimed to tear during the struggle. Soon a mob numbering 100 white men dragged him into the woods nearby and hanged him from a tree. One account states that he was shot after being hanged. No one buried or claimed his body.[1]
Johnston was lynched within a mile of this area.
Blocton was still new in 1887, created around the Cahaba coal fields in 1883, so there is not much historical information about the town or its residents in this time period, but it seems that a spirit of racial terror infected the area.[2] Less than a year earlier, on November 23, 1886, an African American man named John Davis was lynched in Randolph, another town in Bibb County, for the alleged rape of a white woman.[3] Additionally Birmingham, only a few miles away, buzzed with rumors of race riots sparked by Johnston's supposed crime. But local newspapers downplayed the idea of a riot and instead stressed that the lynching was deserved and well-accepted by whites.[4] Overall, Johnston's lynching appears to be not surprising for Blocton and the surrounding mining area, and fits into a history of racial violence.
Much still remains unknown about Johnston and those who lynched him. His identity is still unclear, as most newspaper articles surrounding the case did not mention his name and specifically said that his attackers did not ask his name, such as the one from the Atlanta Constitution, "Did Not Ask His Name–But Quickly Strung Him up to a Tree Limb.[5] By not asking his name, the mob further dehumanized him and ensured that others could not find record of his death. For this reason, his identity in other publications surrounding lynchings in the United States was listed as "Unknown." However, an article from the Bibb Blade said that he was locally known as Johnston. In addition to listing his last name, this article has an interesting tidbit of information–that Mrs. Crawford had known him "for a long time."[6] This knowledge, in combination with the fact that her husband was not at home, raises the question of a possible consensual affair. Perhaps Johnston and Mrs. Crawford were in an intimate relationship and were caught on June 2, 1887, which led to the accusation of outrage and his lynching as interracial relationships were strictly forbidden at the time. Unfortunately, with the lack of a first name and a lack of census data for Blocton until the year 1900, Johnston's career and age remain unknown. It is possible that he worked in the mines or agriculture as did most male residents, but that remains speculation. There are, however, quite a few black Johnstons in Bibb County beginning in the 1900 census and continuing in subsequent editions, any of whom could be a relative, but nothing is certain.[7]Much of Johnston's story remains unknown, but in knowing his name and more facts surrounding his relationship to Mrs. Crawford, we can begin to learn more about his life.
An example of one of the many articles that fails to include Johnson's name.
I began my research with no name, simply looking for the lynching of an unknown black man in Blocton, Alabama, on June 2, 1887. First, I sought out newspaper articles surrounding the case, trying to find as many as possible; however, I spent hours upon hours searching for articles only to find around ten. None were exactly helpful, but I finally found one article that gave me so much more than had been previously known. "The Daring Fiend Defiles Purity by His Polluted Touch and Pays the Penalty at the Muzzle of Angry Guns" from the Bibb Blade was written on June 9, 1887, and provided a name for him, Johnston, which was presumably his last name. It also gave me the knowledge that Mrs. Crawford and Johnston had known each other, which opened up more possibilities in the story. Using this information, I looked on different genealogical websites and at cemetery records to search for Crawfords and Johnstons. I am fairly certain that I found the husband of Mrs. Crawford, Andrew Hampton Crawford, and that she died before 1900 after having at least one child.[8] I also discovered many Johnstons in Bibb County who could have been relatives of the victim, as I mentioned earlier. More than anything else, I wish I could have found his first name, but given that Blocton did not exist until 1883 and he died in 1887, he would not have lived in the town during a census year. Additionally, I would like to know his age and occupation in order to know more about his life outside of his violent death. But without a first name, this information is impossible to find, and searching for his birth and death records without a first name or age is impossible given how common the last name Johnston was. It breaks my heart that the most information we have on his life is from newspapers that celebrate the racial violence against him and mock his death. Most of this research was accomplished through reading between the lines, but I long for the day where the stories of victims of lynching and racial terror are told not through the lens of the perpetrators, but from the viewpoint of the victims and their loved ones.
It appears that this lynching was an isolated event in the town of Blocton, at least as far as we know. However, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, there were at least 11 other lynchings in Bibb County, which reveals a culture of racial violence and terror both before and after the murder of Johnston. But if you try to find any information on racism or responses to the civil rights movement in Blocton, you will not succeed. Most sources on the forgotten town tend to focus on the mining industry, Italian Catholic and Jewish immigration to the area in the 1880s and 1890s, and the town's merging with its sister city, West Blocton, which encompasses the area today.[9] Largely, this lynching has been forgotten, just like the town of Blocton, but Johnston's story shows a different side to the area and a different side to racial terror. It demonstrates how common racial terror was and how lynchings functioned as a tool not just to hurt people of color, but also to ensure that they are forgotten. In addition, a lack of information about African Americans in newspapers and genealogical records from the time leads to not knowing much about the lives of many lynching victims, including Johnston. However, through knowing his name and more about his relationship with Mrs. Crawford, Johnston is no longer "Unknown." In uncovering the story of Johnston, his life and the terror he and many others faced due to lynching, will no longer be forgotten. I hope the day comes where others can use what little information I have uncovered about Johnston to be able to find more about his life and not just his death in order to truly give him justice and a memory outside of the violence he was victim to.
[1] "Did Not Ask His Name: But Swung Him Up Quickly To A Tree Limb," The Atlanta Constitution, June 3, 1887; "Birmingham: A Fiendish Negro's Prompt Punishment." The Daily Picayune, June 4, 1887; "A Negro, Having Attempted to Outrage a White Woman, is Captured and Lynched." The Memphis Appeal, June 4, 1887; "Special to the Times-Democrat." The Times-Democrat, June 4, 1887; "Swift Justice: A Negro Assaults a White Woman and Finds Himself Hanging to a Limb a Few Hours After." The Courier-Journal, June 4, 1887; "From the Wires." Eufaula Daily Times, June 5, 1887; "State News." Blount County News, June 6, 1887; "Alabama News and Editorials–Gleanings, Clippings, and Sayings–Boiled Down and Skimmed for the Busy Reader." The Moulton Advertiser, June 9, 1887; "The Daring Fiend Defiles Purity by His Polluted Touch and Pays the Penalty at the Muzzle of Angry Guns," The Bibb Blade, June 9, 1887; "From the Wires." Times and News, June 9, 1887; "Riot Rumors in the Air–A Report That the Military Were to Sleep on Their Guns." The Weekly Advertiser, June 9, 1887; The Moulton Advertiser. June 23, 1887.
[2]Donna R. Causey, "Blocton/West Blocton, Alabama–Sister Towns that Grew out of the Industrial Revolution," AlabamaPioneers.com, accessed November 26, 2019, https://www.alabamapioneers.com/bloctonwest-blocton-alabama-sister-towns-that-grew-out-of-the-industrial-revolution/#targetText=Blocton%20is%20a%20town%20in,by%20Truman%20Aldrich%20around%201883.
[3] R.J. Ramey, ed., Monroe Work Today Dataset Compilation, V1 (October 23, 2017), distributed by the Tuskegee University Archives.
[4] "Riot Rumors in the Air–A Report That the Military Were to Sleep on Their Guns."
[5] "Did Not Ask His Name: But Swung Him Up Quickly To A Tree Limb."
[6] "The Daring Fiend Defiles Purity by His Polluted Touch and Pays the Penalty at the Muzzle of Angry Guns."
[7] U.S. Federal Census, Year: 1900; Census Place: Blocton, Bibb, Alabama; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 1240002; U.S. Federal Census, Year: 1920; Census Place: Six Mile, Bibb, Alabama; Roll: T625_1; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 9.
[8] U.S. Federal Census, Year: 1900; Census Place: Blocton, Bibb, Alabama; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 1240002.
[9] Donna R. Causey, "Blocton/West Blocton, Alabama–Sister Towns that Grew out of the Industrial Revolution."
A Negro Lynched
Type: Newspaper
"A Negro Lynched." The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), July 06, 1892.
Criminally Assaulted
"Criminally Assaulted." The Vernon Courier (Vernon, AL), July 14, 1892.
"Untitled." Lebanon Daily News (Lebanon, PA), July 09, 1892.
SHOT TO PIECES: Attempted Crime of an Alabama Negro is Followed By a Swift Punishment
"SHOT TO PIECES: Attempted Crime of an Alabama Negro is Followed By a Swift Punishment." The Evening Republican (Meadville, PA), July 06, 1892.
RIDDLED IN A SWAMP: Unkown Negro Lynched in Walker, County, Alabama: He Had Attempted to Assault TwoWhite Women but Was Frightened Away
"RIDDLED IN A SWAMP: Unkown Negro Lynched in Walker, County, Alabama: He Had Attempted to Assault TwoWhite Women but Was Frightened Away." Memphis Weekly Commercial (Memphis, TN), July 06, 1892.
View All Sources
"SHOT TO PIECES: Fate of a Would be Negro Ravisher Near Jasper, Ala.." The Decatur Herald (Macon, IL), July 06, 1892.
"Shot to Death: A Would-Be Rapist Killed." The Standard Gauge (Brewton, AL), July 07, 1892.
"SHOT TO DEATH IN A TREE:The Fate Which Overtook a Negro Brute in Alabama." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York, NY), July 05, 1892.
"NEGRO LYNCHED: Men and Dogs Pursue Him and the Former Shoot Him to Pieces." The Public Ledger (Maysville, KY), July 06, 1892.
"Untitled." The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, TX), July 12, 1892.
"Untitled." The Dresden Star (Dresden, KS), July 14, 1892.
n.t. Lebanon Daily News (Lebanon, PA), July 09, 1892.
n.t. The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, TX), July 12, 1892.
n.t. The Dresden Star (Dresden, KS), July 14, 1892.
"HUNTED BY MEN AND DOGS: A Negro Tread and Shot to Death- He Attacked Two Women Who Escaped From His Grasp.." The Buffalo Sunday Morning News (Buffalo, NY), July 10, 1892.
"FILLED FULL OF LEAD: Swift Justice Meted Out to a Negro Fiend Near Jasper Ala." Hamilton County Democrat (Noblesville, IN), July 08, 1892.
"ASSAULTED TWO WOMEN: And Was Shot To Death In a Dismal Swamp: AnUnknown Negro Attacks a White Woman In Jasper, and Pays the Usual Penalty." The Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), July 04, 1892.
"ASSAULTED TWO WOMEN: And Was Shot to Death In a Dismal Swamp." The Eufaula Daily Times (Eufala, AL), July 06, 1892.
County	 All Counties autauga baldwin barbour bibb blount bullock butler calhoun chambers cherokee chilton choctaw clarke clay cleburne coffee colbert conecuh coosa covington crenshaw cullman dale dallas deKalb elmore escambia etowah fayette franklin geneva greene hale Henry: henry houston jackson jefferson lamar lauderdale lawrence lee limestone lowndes macon madison marengo marion marshall mobile monroe montgomery morgan perry pickens pike randolph russell shelby st. clair sumter talladega tallapoosa tuscaloosa walker washington wilcox winston


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Regulation of the Day 120: Fish Tanks in Barbershops
Ryan Young • 03/01/2010
In Tenneessee, it is illegal for barbershops to have fish tanks. That could change as soon as today, though. HB2823, sponsored by Rep. Ty Cobb, is up for a vote today in the state Senate. It would make barbershop fish tanks legal once again. The bill already passed the House by voice vote. Why the need for such obscure legislation? According to Tennessean.com,
[Rep. Cobb] proposed the measure after a constituent who owns a barber shop with a built-in fish tank told him she was asked to drain the aquarium after a state inspection and told she could only have fake animals in it.
While fish tank liberalization won't affect very many people, it is heartening to see legislators repealing laws instead of passing more of them. Legislators looking for other things to repeal can start by looking at other Regulations of the Day. Congratulations to Rep. Cobb for doing the right thing. More, please.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Bolt Beat
30 Greatest Chargers
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Los Angeles Chargers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Comparing Los Angeles Chargers players to 2019 Best Picture Nominees by Tyler Schoon
NFL Draft: Los Angeles Chargers' divisional rivals by John Wozniak
Chargers News
NFL Draft: Chargers will have these draft picks barring trades
by Travis Wakeman 10 months ago Follow @traviswakeman10
The full order for the 2019 NFL draft has been set following the dispersal of compensatory picks.
The Los Angeles Chargers know which picks they will have when the selection process begins in late April. The team will have the standard seven draft picks, one for each round. The Chargers weren't awarded any compensatory picks and didn't acquire any extra picks through trades.
Though that could still change.
First round, No. 28 overall: The Bolts have actually never selected a player with the No. 28 overall pick in the draft, but being at the back of the order generally always means you were one of the league's best teams the year prior.
Second round, No. 60 overall: Players selected at this pick in the past include wide receiver Quinn Early in 1988, offensive lineman Leo Goeas in 1990 and running back Jermaine Fazande in 1999.
Early spent three seasons with the team, catching four touchdown passes as a rookie. He went on to find success with the New Orleans Saints as well.
Goeas also played three seasons with the Chargers after being drafted out of Hawaii.
Fazande was drafted with a pick acquired via trade from the Atlanta Falcons in which the Chargers gave up wide receiver Tony Martin. Fazande played in 20 games for the Chargers, rushing for 733 yards and four touchdowns.
Third round, No. 91 overall: In 1988 the Chargers used the No. 91 overall selection to take Joe Campbell out of New Mexico State. He played with the team for two seasons and was never much of a factor, though he did have three sacks as a rookie.
Fourth round, No. 130 overall: The Chargers drafted a couple of players who are nothing more than footnotes in team history with the No. 130 overall pick, taking Dick Drummond in 1963 and Harry Gooden in 1972. But in 2005, that pick was a hit as Darren Sproles was taken by the team.
Sproles was one of the most electric players in team history.
Fifth round, No. 166 overall: The Chargers selected Marcus Thomas, a running back out of Texas-El Paso with the No. 166 overall pick in 2008. He didn't even survive through the preseason before trying to catch on with four other teams, which he was unable to do.
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Sixth round, No. 200 overall: The Bolts have selected the 200th overall pick in the draft four times, though three of those instances occurred back in the days of the AFL.
In 1962, the team took Sam Gruneusin out of Villanova. He would go on to play 11 seasons for the team at center and was part of the only championship team in franchise history back in 1963.
Tommy Lucas, another offensive lineman, was the pick in 1964. In 1969, the Chargers drafted Craig Cotton, a tight end out of Youngstown State. However, he chose to go to the NFL instead, starting his career with the Detroit Lions. In an interesting twist of fate, he concluded his career with the Chargers following the merger, playing for the team for one season in 1975.
Finally, in 1995, the team selected Tony Berti, an offensive lineman from Colorado. Injuries cut his career short, but he did make 30 starts in the league.
Seventh round, No. 242 overall: The Chargers selected Otha Bradley out of USC at No, 242 in 1975, but he failed to make the team and his NFL career was quite short lived.
It would be 30 years before the team drafted in that slot again. In 2005, Scott Mruczkowski was the pick, an offensive lineman out of Bowling Green. Though he was drafted very late, he hung on for seven seasons with the team, starting in 16 games.
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Bleacher Report 10 monthsLakers' LeBron James Passes Andre Miller for 10th on NBA All-Time Assist List
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Bolt Beat 2 yearsChargers trade WR Dontrelle Inman to Bears for a 7th-round pick
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It was only a matter of time before a major new showcase event revolutionised the sport of gymnastics. And now it's here in the form of 'The Superstars of Gymnastics'. March 23rd, 2019 will become a red-letter day when this unique promotion raises the profile of the sport to a whole new level in terms of spectators, fans of the sport and organisers.
As the years go by, the sport has gained unprecedented levels of coverage on television, offering the opportunity for youngsters to see first-hand what's involved. We all know it's a powerful medium, of course, but by adding some glitz and glamour it's hoped that some depth and excitement will be brought to the overall presentation of gymnastics live on Sky Sports.
There can't be any better venue for this than the magnificent O2 Arena on the banks of The Thames, London – which when filled to capacity offers the most spectacular backdrop. It's certain to provide an electric atmosphere, and naturally, there are some mouth-watering names taking part.
Though the full list has yet to be confirmed, everyone involved will be at the top of their discipline. And who better to lead the line-up than the irrepressible Max Whitlock MBE (a regular user of Gymnastics Club Manager!), who became Britain's first ever gold medallist in artistic gymnastics winning both the men's floor and pommel horse exercises at the 2016 Summer Olympics? Max is a five-time Olympic medallist and a glowing ambassador for the sport.
"I'm very excited to be a part of the Superstars of Gymnastics," said Whitlock. "It is very, very exciting and it's going to bring something never seen before. It will be a very different event from any other gymnastics event out there, and it will give the gymnasts freedom to perform anything they want to wow the crowds.
He'll be joined by the charismatic double Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, Courtney Tulloch, from the famous Pegasus Gymnastics Club. The 22-year-old from Kent has produced some scintillating displays on the rings and vault and is a real crowd-puller.
Spectators will also get great views of Simone Biles from the United States who boasts four Olympic medals. She was part of the gold-medal-winning team dubbed the 'Final Five' at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Biles is the current Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medallist, and sure to be a popular draw.
Sam Oldham was part of the British men's team at the 2012 Summer Olympics winning Bronze in the team competition. The 25-year-old from Keyworth in Nottinghamshire is an artistic gymnast of top quality who thrives at the top level.
A warm welcome will be given to 23-year-old Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina who has one Gold, two Silver and three Olympic Bronze medals to her name. Her great personality coupled with her tremendous skill will go down well with UK fans.
Fabian Hambüchen from Germany is the Olympic champion on horizontal bars, coming out of retirement especially for this event. The 31-year-old from Bergisch Gladbach is an enigmatic competitor who will add flair to the proceedings for sure.
And 27-year-old Daniel Purvis who trains at Southport YMCA has just joined the role of honour. The very popular three-time British all-around champion in men's artistic gymnastics will relish performing in front of another big audience. He played a major role as part of the first British men's team to win a medal at a World Championships three years ago.
Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn, who has been a leading light in promoting sport not always in the mainstream as far as the media were concerned said: "We're very excited to be announcing this brand-new event to take place at the O2 next March.
"The Superstars of Gymnastics is going to be something very special and something very big for the sport of gymnastics. We will be bringing superstars from around the world to London for a world-class showcase of this brilliant sport.
More fascinating names will be added over the next few weeks and months, though everyone hopes those involved can stay injury free leading up to next Spring. With coverage being shown worldwide this promises to be an occasion not to be missed.
Matchroom Multisport are promoting the event and you can order tickets from their website at www.superstarsofgymnastics.com.
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Northern Iowan • November 15, 2021 • https://www.northerniowan.com/15944/showcase/cedar-falls-prepares-for-contested-mayoral-city-council-runoff-races/
Cedar Falls prepares for contested mayoral, city council runoff races
Cedar Falls is gearing up for a contested run-off election for mayor and city council Nov. 30.
Mayoral candidate David Sires received the most votes on election day Nov. 2 with 3,470 people reporting 40% of the votes, while incumbent mayor Rob Green received 2,717, reporting 31% of votes. Third mayoral candidate Tom Blanford received the least amount of votes with 2,527. Sires and Green will go head to head in a runoff election to select Cedar Falls' mayor as none of the candidates got 50% plus 1 of the vote.
As reported in the Northern Iowan's by Elle Olthoff, Green is the incumbent mayor and has been serving as such since January 2020. Green is a 1998 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. and served for a decade as a commissioned officer in the United States Coast Guard. He also received a master's degree in instructional technology from the University of Northern Iowa in 2016, as well as another master's degree in library and information studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019.
A few issues Green's campaign emphasizes is making streets more walkable for pedestrians, and he is in favor of more people using public transportation. Additionally, he is in support of a limited window of time for firework use, but wants to increase fines for misuse and increase education on the proper use of fireworks. He would like to keep downtown as a place to promote business and be the city center for Cedar Falls.
Green also wants to incentivize development with existing infrastructure, and create a tighter community between older generations and millennials. He also wants to place a focus on remote worker retention and attraction of Cedar Falls as a great place to settle down.
Finally, he desires to make City Council meetings easier to understand for the public so they can be a part of what takes place at them, and make Council Chambers more accessible for those who may have a disability.
"I believe one of the mayor's most important responsibilities is to be the 'conscience' of the city," Green said in response to a candidate questionnaire. "Any mayor should be committed to representing the best of what the community's all about – to put the city's interests light years ahead of their own interests."
Green's competitor, David Sires, is currently a Councilman representing the 4th Ward, a position he has held since 2020 as well as a position that will not be contested this election cycle. Sires is a long-time citizen of Cedar Falls as well as a local business owner. According to Sire's candidacy signs, he runs his platform on the statement to "Put the People Back in Charge."
Sires' campaign focus is being a voice for the community. Much of his platform is based on what he believes community desires. He has emphasized his interest in being a voice for the residents of Cedar Falls and feels in the past residents have not been paid enough attention to by public officials.
"It is time to put the power back into the hands of the residents and establish the people's voice in the elected members that represent the public," Sires stated in his Official Statement of Candidacy.
One of his main focuses is to have separate fire and police departments, because he believes that this will better allow each separate department to take care of the city and be more properly trained in their field. He also wants to eliminate the Public Safety Director position in support of establishing separate Fire and Police Chiefs who maintain this role.
He also wants to place a focus onto public safety, economic development and making sure that taxes people are paying in Cedar Falls are actually going towards projects that are taking shape and not just sitting.
City Council Runoff
City Council ward three's seat is also up for grabs and will go into a runoff election along with the mayoral race Nov. 30. Candidate Carole Yates garderned 46% of the votes, while contender Daryl Kruse received 29% of the votes. Third candidate Kara Bigelow received 25% of the votes.
As reported by the Northern Iowan's David Warrington, incumbent Daryl Kruse, is completing his first term serving on Cedar Falls' City Council that started in 2018. Kruse is a UNI graduate, receiving a degree in finance and economics. Since then he has worked as a certified financial planner for Ameriprise Financial for the past 31 years and has also been a real estate investor and a landlord.
Carole Yates is a retired program manager for UNI's Center for Energy and Environmental Education. Yates states her reason for running is to "continue contributing to the community in a positive, future-oriented way, and to inspire others to do the same."
School Board, City Council Election Results
Two seats for City Council and three new seats for the Cedar Falls School Board were filled Nov. 2. Kelly Dunn won the contested at-large city council seat with 53% of the votes against candidate T.J. Frein. Ward one's seat was won by Gil Schultz who received 82% of votes against candidate Derek Peisen. Ward five's seat went to Dustin Ganfield with 55% of the votes against Frank Darrah.
School board results were also announced amidst city council results. R.J. Meyer, a senior vice president at VGM Fulfillment and known for being a former Iowa Hawkeyes football player, garnered the most votes reporting 4,077 ballots cast. Another newcomer to the school board, software consultant Brenda Fite, received 3,775 votes making her the first out LGBTQ+ elected official in Cedar Falls. John Deere engineer Lowell Stutzman came close behind Fite receiving 3,710 votes. Stutzman is also a newcomer to the school board.