October 2021 – The Night Marauder Project

The McGill Murder

One Night Marauder attack stands out not because it ended in a murder, but because it may have inspired one. Mrs. Mary McGill reported an armed intruder on January 21, 1920. She said her husband, Elijah, worked nights and that her unmarried sister-in-law Annie McGill was visiting from Florence, S.C. The home also included aContinue reading “The McGill Murder”

Three Autumn Nights in Knoxville

Ida and Dan White lived in a little four-room house at 36 Hart Ave in Knoxville after WWI and Dan worked nights at the Appalachian Cotton Mill. On September 13, 1919, as she slept in a bed with her six-year-old sister, a man entered her room. Ida awoke around 3 a.m. to feel a man’sContinue reading “Three Autumn Nights in Knoxville”

Part II: The Race Riot and the Unjust Execution of Maurice Mays

This post was written by contributor Shelby Davidson (MC’21) and edited by N. Locklin. It has been split into two parts due to length and the complexity of the topic. On August 30th, 1919, white mobs began to assemble outside the Knox County jail in Knoxville, clamoring for access to the arrested suspect. As theContinue reading “Part II: The Race Riot and the Unjust Execution of Maurice Mays”

Bertie Lindsey, Maurice Mays, and the events leading up to the Knoxville Race Riot of 1919

This post was written by contributor Shelby Davidson (MC’21) and edited by N. Locklin. It has been split into two parts due to length and the complexity of the topic. Knoxville generally prided itself on being an accepting and nonviolent area, but with the end of World War I, Black soldiers returning to lives whereContinue reading “Bertie Lindsey, Maurice Mays, and the events leading up to the Knoxville Race Riot of 1919”

The First Night Marauder Attack?

On May 8 1919, Della Wagner (Sometimes Delia Waggoner, later Cunningham, later Whaley) was staying with her sister and her sister’s husband at Callaway and Crooked St., now known as Douglas Ave, in Knoxville. She told the police that she awoke to find a man standing in her room and screamed. The man showed herContinue reading “The First Night Marauder Attack?”

The Forensics Challenge

This post was written by contributors Leigh Ann Brewington (MC’21) and Carrie Mitchell (MC ’23) and edited by N. Locklin. Today, there is a long list of things that must be done before a murder trial can begin. This includes things such as gathering evidence, having witnesses give statements, deciding which charges to go for,Continue reading “The Forensics Challenge”