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"PERHAPS SOME OF OUR READERS MAY REMEMBER a tragical affair that occurred in the mudwalled city' of Cairo, Illinois, in the autumn of 1854," wrote Edward Willett nearly a decade later. "I refer to the lynching of a negro named Joseph Spencer." In the lengthy article that followed, Willett, a lawyer and a participant in the events described, provided what he called a "truthful account" of a story that had garnered significant national attention when it occurred. Because of the location of this small but growing Illinois town at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, witnesses soon carried reports of the "Cairo Tragedy" along these vibrant waterways, as well as by rail, to newspaper editors throughout Illinois and in larger regional centers like St. Louis, Louisville, and Cincinnati.1
With minor variations, newspaper accounts reported that on or about November 27,1854, authorities pressed a charge of trespassing against Joseph Spencer, a well-known black resident who operated a hotel in the cabin of his boat, the Patrick Henry. When summoned to court, Spencer arrived for the hearing armed with a pistol and a keg of gunpowder. "He entered the little room, took a chair, drew a six-shooter, deliberately knocked in the head of the keg, cocked his pistol, and inserted the barrel in the gleaming black powder, announcing that if justice was not done him he would blow them all to hell."2 Not surprisingly, Spencer succeeded in persuading the judge to postpone the hearing; a commentator noted that "the court wisely took time to consult,' and adjourned in hot haste." With his threat, Spencer enraged white residents. "This outrageous affair soon got wind, and the excitement against the negro became intence [sic], and propositions to lynch him were received with general favor."3
Well aware of the fury that his actions had unleashed, Spencer retreated to his boat and locked himself in the cabin, a mob hot on his heels. Like the Revolutionary namesake of his boat, Spencer clearly adhered to the mantra, Give me liberty, or give me death! When whites threatened to storm the boat, Spencer again placed the muzzle of his gun into the keg and threatened to kill anyone who dared to approach. For a time, whites contented themselves with cries of...