The Story of John Diggs-Dorsey (b. 1856-1860; d. 1880)
The second lynching in Montgomery County, Maryland, took place less than six months after the first. John Dorsey, also known as John Diggs, a Black man in his early twenties, was accused on July 25, 1880 of assaulting his employer, Linnie Tschiffely. He was apprehended and brought to the county jail in Rockville. On the morning of July 27, Diggs-Dorsey was removed from his cell by a lynch mob, marched in leg-irons to a place one mile outside town on Route 28 and hanged from the limb of a tree until dead. The local jury of inquest as well as the grand jury convened four months later both returned a verdict of death by “violence committed by parties unknown.”
Narrative of John Diggs-Dorsey
We invite you to read John Diggs-Dorsey’s full story here, pieced together from newspaper articles, census records, and other sources. It is the most accurate account that can be assembled at this time, based on available documentation.
Newspaper Reporting
Links and access to the newspaper accounts cited in the narrative
Biographies of Named Individuals
Short biographies of the named participants, outlining their personal backstories and relationships beyond what is possible to share in the narrative.
Remembrance Weekend, 2021
On September 25, 2021, Montgomery History, in partnership with The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project, and the Montgomery County Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission, held a symposium as part of Remembrance Weekend, recognizing two men who were the victims of racial terror lynchings in Rockville, Maryland: Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey and Mr. Sidney Randolph. Speakers included historians Ralph Buglass and Tony Cohen, along with Montgomery History’s archivist Sarah Hedlund.
Play from the beginning to see opening remarks by Montgomery History’s Executive Director, Matt Logan; Montgomery History’s Board of Directors Chair, Shaunta Vaughn; and County Council member Craig Rice.
Use this link to skip to Ralph Buglass’s talk, “Retrospective on Race.”
Use these links to skip to Sarah Hedlund’s talk, “The Rockville Lynchings”, the stories of Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey and Mr. Sidney Randolph
Use this link to skip to Tony Cohen’s talk, “Anatomy of a Lynching.”
Use these links to skip to comments by County Council members Will Jawando and Hans Riemer.
Remembrance Pilgrimage Walk/Soil Collection Ceremony
On September 26, 2021, Montgomery County leaders and residents joined together in a remembrance pilgrimage walk and soil collection ceremony to memorialize John Diggs-Dorsey and Sidney Randolph.
The pilgrimage walk began at the site of the Rockville jail, and ended at Welsh Park where the soil collection took place (representing the halfway point between the two areas where both men were killed). One jar of soil for each man was given to the EJI representative for display in the Legacy Museum in Alabama, and five additional jars were distributed to local cultural heritage organizations, including Montgomery History.