Lynched: Mob Murders on the Northern Great Plains, 1882-1931

With a rope and a mission, like-minded neighbors found lynching to be a simple and efficient way to obtain what they regarded as certain justice.

Northern plains lynch mobs shared a belief that what they did resulted in swift and sure justice, which the established courts would not or could not provide. Juries might be reluctant to impose the death penalty, and if a suspect were tried, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison, they might be prematurely pardoned. Perpetrators might successfully evade punishment by using insanity pleas. With a rope and a mission, like-minded neighbors found lynching a simple and efficient way to obtain what they regarded as certain justice.

The distrust many citizens had of the legal profession seemed rooted in the perception that lawyers and the complicated law they practiced appeared to offer more justice to criminals than to crime victims. That distrust extended to jurors considered too soft-hearted to mete out appropriate punishment. Do-it-yourself justice among the lynch mobs seemed fairer and quicker than waiting for what they considered unreliable juries, lawyers, and judges. Perhaps those who disparaged lawyers and the rule of law—and sought to bypass them with a rope—simply did not understand the complexities of American jurisprudence. Based on centuries-old English common law, the court system was malleable and did respond to changing ideas and mores, but these changes came slowly. The people who made up the mobs were unwilling to patiently await such incremental adjustments.

Lynched examines the events surrounding, and the media portrayal of, nine mob murders that resulted in eleven deaths on the northern Great Plains from 1882 to 1931. Revealing a disturbing part of history, Lynched aims at uncovering the stories of these lynchings while shedding light on the volatile mentality of the communities where such injustice happened.

 

ISBN: 978-1-946163-59-2
Page Count: 320
Picture Count: 29 black and white images
Index: Yes
Bibiliography: Yes
Hardcover
Publication Date: April 13, 2024

$42.95
Picture of Lynched: Mob Murders on the Northern Great Plains, 1882-1931

When throngs of angry men descended on small Dakota jails, the result was often a lynching of the perceived guilty party. In Lynched: Mob Murders on the Northern Great Plains, 1882–1931, after researching contemporary press reports and court documents, Chaky and Stepanek detail nine such instances of illegal and morally reprehensible “justice” meted out to hapless perpetrators. The stories offer an interesting, if disturbing, read of the gruesome "justice by mob."
—Sandra K. Sagala, author of Buffalo Bill on the Silver Screen: The Films of William F. Cody and Alias Smith & Jones: The Story of Two Pretty Good Bad Men

 

Lynched is a fascinating and unflinching expose about lynchings on the northern plains. Horse thieves, killers, and rapists faced mob justice for their crimes, without benefit of judge or jury. History is not pretty, and Lynched looks straight into its blood-shot eye. It is carefully researched, and I found it as engaging as fiction. Lynched leaves me pondering racism, social justice, lawbreakers, and revenge. Well done, Chaky and Stepanek.
—Candace Simar, Spur-winning Author of The Abercrombie Trail Series

 

ISBN: 978-1-946163-59-2
Page Count: 320
Picture Count: 29 black and white images
Index: Yes
Bibiliography: Yes
Hardcover
Publication Date: April 13, 2024

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