Cellos Harrison was an African American man in Marianna, Florida who was lynched on June 16, 1943 after being rearrested when his murder conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Florida because his confession was obtained under duress.[1] He was twice convicted by an all-white jury of murdering a white man who was working as a gas station attendant and store clerk. State and federal investigations were launched into the lynching but no one was ever indicted or convicted.[2] A decade earlier Claude Neal was lynched in Marianna.[3] The area was also wrought by a wave of violence against African Americans and Republicans during the Reconstruction Era after the American Civil War in what is known as the Jackson County War.
Harrison, a farm worker, was convicted of killing gas station attendant Johnnie Mayo in 1940.[4] His conviction was overturned when his confession was thrown out on appeal. Cellos was reindicted and then taken from the Jackson County, Florida jail by four masked men and killed by a blow or blows to the head. His body was found 5 miles outside Marianna.[5]
NAACP lawyer Harry T. Moore, who was later assassinated in a 1951 bombing of his home, wrote a letter to Florida governor Spessard Holland calling for an investigation and one was ordered.[6]
^"Crime of Lynching: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Eightieth Congress, Second Session, on S. 42 [and Others] Bills to Assure to Persons within the Jurisdiction of Every State Due Process of Law and Equal Protection of Laws, and to Prevent the Crime of Lynching, and for Other Purposes". 1948.
^Hobbs, Tameka Bradley (August 11, 2015). The Failure of Forbearance: The Lynching of Cellos Harrison, Jackson County, 1943. University Press of Florida. doi:10.5744/florida/9780813061047.001.0001. ISBN9780813061047 – via florida.universitypressscholarship.com.
^Hobbs, Tameka Bradley (August 11, 2015). A Degree of Restraint: The Trials of Cellos Harrison, 1940–1943. University Press of Florida. doi:10.5744/florida/9780813061047.001.0001. ISBN9780813061047 – via florida.universitypressscholarship.com.
^"Florida Lynching 1943". The Jackson Sun. 16 June 1943. p. 3.
^ ab"Strange Fruit and Spanish Moss: June 16, 1943: Cellos Harrison". June 16, 2014.
^Green, Ben; Kennedy, Stetson (April 4, 1999). Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr. Simon and Schuster. ISBN9780684854533 – via Google Books.
^University, Nova Southeastern. "Florida lynchings subject of Diversity Dialogue". NSU.
External linksedit
Record of one of the successful appeals
Record of U.S. Supreme.Court overruling its earlier ruling based on the confession being obtained under durress
May 08, 2024
lynching, cellos, harrison, cellos, harrison, african, american, marianna, florida, lynched, june, 1943, after, being, rearrested, when, murder, conviction, overturned, supreme, court, florida, because, confession, obtained, under, duress, twice, convicted, wh. Cellos Harrison was an African American man in Marianna Florida who was lynched on June 16 1943 after being rearrested when his murder conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Florida because his confession was obtained under duress 1 He was twice convicted by an all white jury of murdering a white man who was working as a gas station attendant and store clerk State and federal investigations were launched into the lynching but no one was ever indicted or convicted 2 A decade earlier Claude Neal was lynched in Marianna 3 The area was also wrought by a wave of violence against African Americans and Republicans during the Reconstruction Era after the American Civil War in what is known as the Jackson County War Harrison a farm worker was convicted of killing gas station attendant Johnnie Mayo in 1940 4 His conviction was overturned when his confession was thrown out on appeal Cellos was reindicted and then taken from the Jackson County Florida jail by four masked men and killed by a blow or blows to the head His body was found 5 miles outside Marianna 5 NAACP lawyer Harry T Moore who was later assassinated in a 1951 bombing of his home wrote a letter to Florida governor Spessard Holland calling for an investigation and one was ordered 6 Tameka Bradley Hobbs wrote about this and three other lynchings in her 2015 book Democracy Abroad Lynching at Home Racial Violence in Florida 7 5 References edit Crime of Lynching Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate Eightieth Congress Second Session on S 42 and Others Bills to Assure to Persons within the Jurisdiction of Every State Due Process of Law and Equal Protection of Laws and to Prevent the Crime of Lynching and for Other Purposes 1948 Hobbs Tameka Bradley August 11 2015 The Failure of Forbearance The Lynching of Cellos Harrison Jackson County 1943 University Press of Florida doi 10 5744 florida 9780813061047 001 0001 ISBN 9780813061047 via florida universitypressscholarship com Hobbs Tameka Bradley August 11 2015 A Degree of Restraint The Trials of Cellos Harrison 1940 1943 University Press of Florida doi 10 5744 florida 9780813061047 001 0001 ISBN 9780813061047 via florida universitypressscholarship com Florida Lynching 1943 The Jackson Sun 16 June 1943 p 3 a b Strange Fruit and Spanish Moss June 16 1943 Cellos Harrison June 16 2014 Green Ben Kennedy Stetson April 4 1999 Before His Time The Untold Story of Harry T Moore America s First Civil Rights Martyr Simon and Schuster ISBN 9780684854533 via Google Books University Nova Southeastern Florida lynchings subject of Diversity Dialogue NSU External links editRecord of one of the successful appeals Record of U S Supreme Court overruling its earlier ruling based on the confession being obtained under durress Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lynching of Cellos Harrison amp oldid 1153348781, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
