Lynching of Jesse Washington
Jesse Washington was lynched in Waco, Texas, on May 15, 1916. Washington was a teenage African American who worked on a farm. The event became a well-known example of racially motivated lynching. Washington was accused of raping and killing Lucy Fryer. Fryer was the wife of Washington's white boss in rural Robinson, Texas. No one saw Washington commit the crime. During his interrogation by the McLennan County sheriff, he signed a confession and described the location of the weapon used to kill Fryer.