1883 Wesley Posey riot
The 1883 Wesley Posey riot was an attempted lynching which took place at the Jefferson County Courthouse in December 1883.
Wesley Posey was accused of attempting to rape a young girl in the vicinity of Grace's Gap. It was widely rumored immediately after the report that a mob had already hanged Posey in vengeance for the act. In fact, Acting Jefferson County Sheriff R. H. Hagood had arrested him and was holding him at the Jefferson County Jail adjoining the courthouse at 3rd Avenue North at 21st Street. Posey appeared at an arraignment hearing on December 5 and entered a plea of not guilty. His trial was set for Friday, December 7.
On the evening of the 5th, a mob gathered at the corner of 2nd Avenue North and 20th Street and proceeded toward the jail. Among the leaders of the group seeking to enter and murder Posey were D. W. Austin, William Austin, Henry Lamb, Henry Sanders, Jeff Sims, Thomas Tate, J. P. Davis, Ed Bow, Robert McDaniel, A. J. Tomlin, George Wells and Ed Zuber. Tate was admitted by Sheriff Hagood and told him that, "he might as well surrender Posey to the crowd as they were going to have him one way or the other." Hagood locked the door and warned the mob not to pursue violence, but the did break in and searched the building to no avail. As a precaution, the Sheriff had already taken the prisoner to an isolated house. Hagood also contacted Governor Edward O'Neal to activate the state militia. Five companies, including the Birmingham Rifles and Warrior Guards, restored order at the courthouse and secured the accused until he could be tried.
The Jefferson County Circuit Court being already in session, agreed to hasten a trial. The judge dismissed a motion for a change of venue and a jury was empaneled. Posey was found guilty at trial, and sentenced to be hanged.
In 1884 the Supreme Court of Alabama heard an appeal of a writ of error entered on Posey's behalf by Mitchell Porter, Rufus Cobb and Robert Pearson. The Supreme Court found cause for the trial court to review the question of venue as it related to the formation of an impartial jury. The Circuit Court agreed to the change of venue and a new trial was held in Montgomery County.
Posey died in jail before that hearing took place, rendering the proceeding moot.
The leaders of the mob were brought to trial for unlawful assembly, unlawful entry, and conspiracy to commit murder in August 1884. Mitchell Porter and A. S. Hawkins argued for the state. William H. Smith, D. D. Smith, Tipton Bradford, R. H. Sterret, H. A. Sharp, and J. H. Weatherly represented the defendants. All were acquitted.
References
- "Alleged Rioters Acquitted" (August 28, 1884) The Iron Age, p. 3 - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
- "Posey's Portion" (December 13, 1883) The Iron Age
- "Speedy Justice" (December 1883) Alabama Law Journal Vol. 2, No. 9, pp. 359–362
- "Posey v. the State" (1884) Supreme Court of Alabama