Last month in her little schoolhouse outside Maryville, Mo., Schoolma’am Velma Colter, 20, was raped, murdered. To the crime Raymond Gunn, Negro, confessed. Last week he was being taken from the Maryville jail to the courthouse to stand trial when a mob snatched him out of the hands of Sheriff Havre English, noisily marched him out of town toward the rural schoolhouse. Hundreds followed the procession, heard Gunn beg for mercy.
Arrived at the schoolhouse, leaders ripped off shingles, dragged handcuffed Gunn up to the roof, chained him to the rafters. Gasoline from automobiles was poured around him on loose shingles and rafters. Hungry flames leaped up, encircled the cowering black figure. From the smoke a wail of agony arose. A few moments later as the burning roof collapsed, an incinerated body plunked down on the desks below. Several thousand witnesses turned away for home.
Meanwhile at Maryville 60 National Guardsmen stood under arms, were not called out of their armory.
Such was lynching No. 1 of 1931.
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