Torture and lynching of Frank Embree in Fayette, Missouri

Background. Fayette is the county seat of Howard County, Missouri. In 1899, a nineteen-year-old African American man was falsely accused of assaulting a fourteen-year-old white girl named Willie Dougherty. This accusation led to a mob action in the town, resulting in the torture and extrajudicial killing of the accused man.

Accusation. The incident began with an allegation that Frank Embree assaulted Willie Dougherty, the daughter of Wood Dougherty. The accusation was false, yet it triggered a violent response from a mob in Fayette. The mob's actions included whipping and hanging, which were captured in photographs taken before and after the execution.

Documentation. Photographs were taken during the event, specifically before and after the hanging. These images serve as historical evidence of the torture and lynching. The event occurred in the context of broader racial violence, where African Americans were primary victims of lynchings by white Southerners following emancipation.