George Taylor
November 5, 1918 | Rolesville, NC
To this Day, not one person has been held accountable for
the lynching of george taylor.
The lasting effects of George Taylor’s lynching still haunt Rolesville’s community and Wake County. The story is passed from one generation to the next as a reminder to be mindful of what you say and what you do because nothing guarantees due process. When racial tensions develop, they don't just affect one or two of us - they affect us all… as neighbors, coworkers, friends and fellow Americans. Racism creates a society where people don't trust and respect each other. When it's allowed to flourish, it lessens us as a people.
historical marker Remembering George Taylor
Historical marker dedicated on September 7, 2024 in Rolesville, NC
Historical Marker Text:
On November 5, 1918, George Taylor, a Black man, was brutally lynched by a mob of 300 white people near Rolesville. A week prior, a white woman reported being assaulted, and officers arrested Mr. Taylor on the morning of November 5 despite lacking any evidence tying him to the alleged offense.
Almost 25% of lynchings involved allegations of inappropriate behavior between a Black man and a white woman that was characterized as "assault." The mere accusation of sexual impropriety regularly aroused violent mobs and ended in lynching.
The officers bound Mr. Taylor and drove him to Rolesville with "a pistol pressing against his ribs." The woman who reported the assault initially stated that Mr. Taylor was not the perpetrator after he had been arrested before changing her story later in the day. As officers started to drive Mr. Taylor to Raleigh, four hooded white men with shotguns stopped the car and seized Mr. Taylor. A large mob, which included children, gathered as he was taken to a field near Buffalo Creek. The mob tortured Mr. Taylor, hanged him from a tree, mutilated his body, and shot him with over 100 bullets. Crowds of white people from local towns came to view Mr. Taylor’s body, which was left hanging overnight, and some retrieved bullets from the lynching site to keep as “souvenirs.” Despite numerous witnesses, a jury claimed it was unable to identify any mob members. No one was ever held accountable for lynching George Taylor.
Remembering george taylor
Timeline of George Taylor’s Lynching
The following is a thorough timeline of how the events surrounding the lynching of George Taylor unfolded, as compiled from numerous newspaper accounts and other primary sources.
The hearings resume on Thursday, November 14, with the examination of 14 witnesses. The inquiry, conducted by Solicitor Norris before Coroner Charles A. Separk and a jury, comes to another halt and is continued until Wednesday, November 20. At that time, seven more witnesses are examined.
The first witness on the stand is Dr. Lawrence B. Young, the local physician who was called to the Rogers’ home at the time Taylor was brought into the house for identification. Dr. Young was there for the purpose of attending to Mrs. Rogers who, it was thought, might suffer from shock while identifying her assailant. Dr. Young reports that upon arriving at the Rogers' home, he observed John T. Bolling, Oscar Barham, Stanley Jones, Dude Price, and Calvin E. “Buddie” Mitchell already on the premises -- all of whom are called as witnesses.
Stanley Jones testifies that he is driving the car when it leaves the Rogers' house headed for Raleigh. He states that George Taylor, Mr. Bolling, and Mr. Barham are in the car with him when they are held up by four armed, masked men. Mr. Jones is not forced to stay but is released and allowed to go on his way.
Solicitor Norris asks Mr. Jones why he did not telephone the sheriff to share the fate of the prisoner. The witness says that his telephone was not working and further notes that the masked men insisted that they didn't want anything said about what they were doing.
Buddie Mitchell testifies that he has put in a lot of time into his own investigation at his own expense. He states that he was instrumental in getting the County to offer a reward, that he led the party that went to Wilson for the arrest of Mr. Taylor, and that he carried the prisoner to Rolesville for identification –- against the advice of the Solicitor and Wilson Police Officers.
Buddie Mitchell also testifies that he thought that Mr. Rogers, husband of the victim, would kill Taylor in the event of a positive identification, if he were allowed. Mr. Mitchell adds, "That's what I would have done!" putting himself in the place of the husband. Mr. Mitchell is more positive about the assailant's identity than any other witness, stating, "I knew the first time she [Mrs. Rogers] laid eyes on him that he was the one". He makes this statement despite all of the evidence that Mrs. Rogers shook her head in a negative way at the first appearance of Mr. Taylor. Solicitor Norris questions the discrepancy by asserting that Mrs. Rogers’s first sign was because she believed that her husband was going to kill the man should she identify him.
Solicitor Norris raises a question about the key to the handcuffs which several witnesses have testified was in the possession of Buddie Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell explains that he originally had the key to the handcuffs and had promised to return both the key and the handcuffs to the Chief of Police of Wilson, whose property they were. He says that he started to unlock the handcuffs and lost sight of the key while the prisoner was in the yard of the Rogers’ home. Mr. Mitchell states that he turned to prevent Mr. Lee Rogers from doing harm to the suspect, claims that someone else did the unlocking, and that that was the last time he saw either the handcuffs or key.
This testimony about the key is significant because it has already been established that George Taylor is cuffed when he is placed in the car and taken from the Rogers’ home, and he is still cuffed when his body is recovered the next morning.
Edgar Upchurch, one of the 9 black men questioned, is asked about the events of the election-night lynching and admits that he heard gun shots in the woods between 7:00 and 8:00 PM. He estimates the number of shots at about 100.
Chelsey Williams, Gary Bolling, Logan Stell, and Edgar Williams, all from the Rolesville area, say they visited the scene the morning after the lynching. They all testify that they heard the news in Rolesville the following morning and decided to visit the site. They cannot recall who informed them of the lynching or the location where the body remained hanging throughout the evening.
October 30, 1918
Alleged assault occurs
October 16, 1918
death of deputy sheriff creates void in authority
On Wednesday, October 16, 1918, the unexpected death of Deputy Sheriff Roy Mitchell creates a void in authority in the northeast section of Wake County. Fred Duke is appointed Justice of the Peace to supplement the authority vacuum created by the death of Deputy Sheriff Mitchell.
Two weeks later, on Wednesday, October 30, 1918, Mr. Leonidas, “Lee,” Rogers leaves his home to do business in Rolesville. His wife, Mrs. Ruby Rogers, remains at the house which is located several miles from town. She is gathering vegetables and then returns to the residence where she sits in a chair rocking her 5-week-old baby to sleep.
Around 3 PM, an unknown black man allegedly enters the residence. Mrs. Rogers later states that, without saying a word, the assailant slaps her to the floor and then picks up a razor from the nearby dresser. She quotes the assailant as saying, “I'll cut your throat if you make a sound.” Mrs. Rogers then attempts to regain her feet but is struck and knocked unconscious. When she awakens, she later states, she is lying on the floor, and the assailant has left. The baby is also on the floor, about 10 feet from where the mother lay.
It is likely that Mr. Rogers finds out about the incident when he returns home, but there is no information reported on how he learns of the alleged attack. By 10 PM that evening, a posse of citizens capture a man named Mr. Langston Brewery. It is alleged that he was seen in a field near the Rogers’ home that afternoon. Mr. Brewery is accused, arrested, and taken to Rolesville where he is placed in a jail cell and guarded by several men throughout the night.
Handwritten note (likely drafted after assault) describing assailant. Note reads: “For a negro meeting the following description: 5 feet tall, full face, coal black, prominent eyes & cheek bones, white teeth, weights about 145-lbs, of nervous temperament. When last seen was wearing brown cap, blue overalls, and blue shirt or jacket.”
Photo credit: North Carolina State Archives, Governor’s Papers - Thomas Walter Bickett
Photo of Leonidas “Lee” Rogers
October 31, 1918
official investigation begins & first suspect arrested
The following morning, Thursday, Wake County Sheriff Joseph Sears is notified of the assault and arrest. He immediately sends Deputies Ernest Raines and Roy Hunnicutt to the scene. The deputies take control of the accused, leave him with a guard, and head to the Rogers' home to investigate the alleged crime. When they arrive, they find about 50 people gathered around the place who are likely anticipating that the officers would bring the accused to the house so that Mrs. Rogers can identify her assailant.
Excitement is so high that Mr. Rogers and others tell the officers that Mr. Brewery would never be taken to Raleigh if he is identified by the woman as her attacker. The officers never give her a chance. Hurrying back to Rolesville, Deputies Raines and Hunnicutt place Brewery in an automobile and start for Raleigh. Discovering that they are being followed by a number of people, the officers make a detour and drive to Raleigh by way of Milburnie. Learning that the officers have carried the accused through Milburnie, the citizens following also take a shortcut by Wilders Grove but arrive on the Milburnie Road a few minutes after the deputies have passed by. The Rolesville people follow the accused into Raleigh, and Mr. Brewery is safely jailed without any serious trouble.
Photo credit: Wake County Register of Deeds, Book of Maps 1918, Page 15
November 1, 1918
Three suspects exonerated
On the following day, Friday, November 1, Mr. Langston Brewery is brought before Mrs. Rogers who very quickly pronounces him the wrong man. The mob that gathered with the intent to execute Mrs. Rogers's assailant is “not willing to proceed until a positive identification was made.” Over the weekend, two other unidentified men are arrested and exonerated.
Photo credit: The State Journal (Raleigh, NC), November 1, 1918, P 12.
November 4, 1918
Reward issued
On Monday, November 4, 1918, then-Governor Thomas W. Bickett issues a $200 reward for the arrest and conviction of the alleged assailant of Mrs. Rogers. This amount is matched by the Wake County Board of Commissioners. The citizens of Rolesville also add $100, establishing a total of $500 in reward money for the arrest and conviction of the attacker.
Photo credit: North Carolina State Archives, Governor’s Papers - Thomas Walter Bickett
November 5, 1918
the day of the lynching
The following morning, Tuesday, November 5, 1918, Justice of the Peace Fred Duke deputizes several citizens to assist in handling matters, specifically to serve the arrest warrant put out for George Taylor. Acting on the warrant for Mr. Taylor’s arrest, Wilson Police Officers Warren and Petway pick up George Taylor and hold him in a Wilson jail cell. The aforementioned deputized citizens travel to Wilson to take custody of Mr. Taylor. He is carried on a Norfolk & Southern train to Wendell, tied up, put in the foot of a car with a pistol pressed against his ribs, and driven to the Rogers' house in Rolesville to be brought before Mrs. Rogers for identification. The automobile used to transport Taylor was supplied by "a well known and highly respected citizen of the Rolesville Section."
By 1:30 that afternoon, when George Taylor is first presented to Mrs. Rogers, it is said that she is unable to positively identify him as the man who assaulted her. Mr. Taylor is then allowed to stand outside, under guard, for some time. While he is standing in the yard and after she hears his voice, Mrs. Roger states that she is sure he is her assailant. It is reported that after the positive identification is made, George Taylor confesses to the crime.
Around 4 PM, after acquiring the positive identification, Deputized Citizen John Bolling places the accused in an automobile and starts for Rolesville. The trip is intercepted about 500 yards from the Rogers' home by four masked men who are armed with a single-barrel shotgun and a double-barrel shotgun and who demand to take custody of the prisoner. George Taylor is delivered and then carried to a nearby ravine. The four masked men, who are described as wearing blue hoods over their heads, keep Mr. Taylor and Mr. Bolling under guard in the ravine.
By 7 PM that evening, a crowd of 300 citizens gather, relieve the guards, then drag Taylor to an old field about 1/4 mile from the Rogers’ home near a crossroad. The scene is also not far from the home of the Justice of the Peace, Fred Duke.
At 7:25 PM George Taylor is tied and hung upside down by his feet from a tree. Participants repeatedly cut and gash his body as he hangs. After his death, his back and sides are sliced by knives. The body is filled with bullet holes, and trees on all sides of the scene of the lynching are pocketed with bullets. Later, many of the bullets are extracted by souvenir hunters. Mr. Taylor’s body is left hanging from that tree through the night.
Photo credit: The Charlotte (NC) News, November 6, 1918, P. 15.
November 6, 1918
authorities learn of gruesome lynching
The next morning, Wednesday, November 6, Sheriff Sears receives the first notification of the lynching in a telephone message left by Joe Debnam. Solicitor (Prosecutor in modern parlance) Herbert E. Norris, an Englishman by birth, is dispatched to the scene, arrives around 9:00 AM, and immediately begins the investigation. Later that evening, it is announced that subpoenas would be issued for witnesses to appear at the coroner's hearing scheduled for the coming Saturday.
Though Solicitor Norris makes no statement as to the probability of indictments growing out of the evidence he expects to bring, he does imply that what he’s found would show that the entire Village of Rolesville and farmers from all the surrounding area were involved in the lynching.
Photo Credit: Salisbury Evening Post, Nov. 6 1918, P 1.
November 9, 1918
first investigative hearing
At the hearing on Saturday, November 9, about 20 citizens are subject to examination. The public hearing is expected to last several days, and Solicitor Norris has not yet indicated what action he is going to take in this investigation. Only 8 of the 20 witnesses are questioned on Saturday. Among the first are the two arresting police officers from Wilson – Warren and Petway. Justice of the Peace Duke, who issued the arrest warrant for George Taylor, is also questioned that day.
November 11, 1918
incident receives national coverage
By Monday, November 11, the incident starts to gain national attention. The NAACP wires Governor Bickett urging that he bring the full support of his office behind Solicitor Norris to bring those responsible for the lynching of George Taylor to justice. At the same time, the Chamber of Commerce of Raleigh receives a similar telegram from the group. The telegrams charge local authorities with gross negligence in allowing a prisoner to be so insufficiently guarded that four armed men could take him from officers of the law.
Photo Credit: New-York Tribune (New York City, New York), Nov. 11, 1918, P 14
November 14 & 20, 1918
hearings resume
The Wake County Court House Circa 1918, Photo Courtesy the State Archives of North Carolina.
Photo Credit: Winston-Salem Journal, Nov. 16, 1918, P 2
November 21, 1918
A week passes before the next hearing. On Thursday, November 21, after questioning 30 people (21 white and 9 black), Solicitor Norris declares that he is unable to extract any leads on the lynching perpetrators. It is stated that no officer ever undertook an inquisition with such worthless raw material and that no citizens of the community who appeared in court could produce either a photograph or a speaking acquaintance with the men who performed the lynching.
When all is said and done, the jury concludes that George Taylor "came to his death at the hands of persons unknown."
third hearing concludes with no charges filed and no suspected identified
Photo Credit: Greensboro Daily News, November 22, 1918, P 8
November 25-26, 1918
With the local effort failing, on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 at a convening of Wake County Superior Court, Judge Thomas H. Calvert instructs a Wake County Grand Jury to question the handling of George Taylor while he was under the protection of authorities. The court concludes that the official safeguard of the prisoner was not only lacking but that “one constable and two men apparently deputized by him showed him off until enough men could get together to lynch him.” There is no subsequent report of any action taken by the Grand Jury, nor are records of their deliberations to be found.
George Taylor’s lynching was the 9th since President Wilson issued his anti-lynching proclamation 3 months earlier.
To this day, not one person has been held accountable for the lynching of George Taylor.
GRAND JURY OF SUPERIOR COURT CONVENES.
George
Taylor and
His Family
Georgiana Royster Taylor, date unknown. Photo Credit: Taylor Family Collections
George Taylor is born about 1888 and works as a farmer for himself and as a fireman in a cotton mill, but nothing else is known about his youth. In 1906, he marries Georgiana Royster, daughter of Sarah Wortham and Jack Royster and granddaughter of Louisa Royster. Georgiana is two years younger than her husband and hails from Granville County, NC. The couple have 8 children, 6 of whom live to maturity. They are named Chester L. Taylor, Willie R. Taylor, Beatrice Taylor, Walter E. Taylor, Margaret Taylor, Annie B. Taylor (who lives just 5 days), Lillian Mae Taylor, and Garfield Taylor (who lives to age 4). Other than newspaper accounts, no official records of Mr. Taylor’s death exist: no death certificate, no coroner's report, and no records at the Wake County Sheriff’s office.
After Mr. Taylor’s brutal lynching, Georgiana and the 6 youngest children move back to Granville County. Georgiana passes away in 1927, and three of the children, Beatrice, Margaret, and Walter, move to Durham to live with their aunt, Sadie Royster Peppers. Two of the children do not survive their mother’s death for very long and pass away in the 1930s: Willie in 1930 and Walter in 1936. Chester dies in 1955. Only Beatrice, Margaret, and Lillie Mae survive until the 1980’s.
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