Man being hanged by a noose [Illustration]

Man being hanged by a noose [Illustration]

The Web 1930

This page was positioned adjacent to the University Players club page

Featured in this illustration, which is located on the page adjacent to the description of the University Players Club, is a man hanging by a noose with his hands cuffed behind him. Two black crows fly overhead. This image might represent a scene from the play "The Murder in the Red Barn" which was performed by the Jitney Players (a famous Connecticut acting group) in 1930. This play was based on the true story of the murder of Maria Marten that took place in England in 1827. Her lover, William Corder, was found guilty and was hanged in a public display. It is not clear if this illustration is of that performance, as "The Murder in the Red Barn" is only mentioned in The 1930 Collegian. However, the image eerily seems to represent African American lynchings in the south, which were only outlawed through the Virginia Anti-Lynching Law two years earlier in 1928.

Virginia Baptist Historical Society

Richmond, VA

1930

Caroline Weber