For Black men, mere accusation of sexual assault was often fatal
For a slave — or any Black man for at least 100 years after slavery ended — there was no more dangerous accusation than that they had raped or attempted to rape a white woman.
Such accusations rarely ended in arrests but in lynching or even worse forms of torture before they were killed. There were no trials in such cases and no evidence needed to be presented, just the word of the white woman involved.
Of course, white slave holders were not tried for raping Black slaves, though that happened regularly. That was not considered a crime.
A Black man named Dick, who escaped on Feb. 20, 1820 from slave holder John Forester in Shawneetown, Ark. — now a small town named Yellville — had been accused in Missouri of having attempted to rape a woman. He miraculously escaped the jail in Missouri and became owned by Forester.
The fact that Forester placed the notice of his escape in the April 8, 1820 edition of the Arkansas Gazette would have put Dick’s life in jeopardy again, if only from the relatives of the woman in Missouri.
Dick was described as 5-8, about 22 years old, stoutly made, and “very ugly.” He was said to have a scar on his forehead and his left breast. His feet were also said to be unusually shaped, “being very narrow at the heel and very broad at the toes.”
Forester said Dick would “steal anything” he can get his hands on and is “fond of spirits.”
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