April 1923

James T. Scott, a Black janitor at the University of Missouri, was accused of assaulting the 14-year-old daughter of a professor. Before trial, a mob of University of Missouri students abducted Scott from jail on April 29, 1923, and hanged him from a bridge in front of a large crowd. A NAACP investigation found the evidence against Scott flimsy and the 'confession' coerced. No members of the mob were prosecuted. The lynching illustrated that mob violence operated within university communities and in border states with near-universal impunity.

James T. Scott, a Black janitor at the University of Missouri, was accused of assaulting the 14-year-old daughter of a professor. Before trial, a mob of University of Missouri students abducted Scott from jail on April 29, 1923, and hanged him from a bridge in front of a large crowd. A NAACP investigation found the evidence against Scott flimsy and the 'confession' coerced. No members of the mob were prosecuted. The lynching illustrated that mob violence operated within university communities and with impunity even in border states with some anti-lynching sentiment.