Newspaper Reporting: The Buxton Assault Case and the Lynching of Randolph

Other recent journalistic research and publication on the Randolph lynching includes:

Toomey, Jack. “The Lynching of Sidney Randolph,” Monocacy Monocle (Poolesville, MD): June 30, 2006, p5. Accessible from the Maryland State Archives at this link.

Meyer, Eugene. “Once Upon a Time in Montgomery County,” Bethesda Magazine: September/October 2011 (article updated for online access February, 2018). Accessible at this link.

Meyer, Eugene. “A Shameful Affair,” Washington Post: August 22, 2018. Accessible at this link.

Contemporaneous articles consulted for the content on this site:

The Washington Bee

“The Buxton Tragedy” and “A Negro to Die,” June 6, 1896
“Is Randolph Guilty?” June 13, 1896
“Since colored attorneys…” June 16, 1896
“The lynching of Cocking…” July 4, 1896
“Randolph Murdered,” July 11, 1896
“Lynch Law Must Go,” July 18, 1896

The Richmond Planet (Virginia)

“Fiends’ Fury” and “A Barbarous Murder,” July 18, 1896

The Washington Post

“A Crime for Revenge,” May 26, 1896
“Victims Brought Here,” May 27, 1896
“Following New Clews,” May 28, 1896
“War Against Mob Law,” May 28, 1896
“Detectives Drop Out, “ May 29, 1896
“The Man with the Ax,” May 30, 1896
“Third Man in Custody,” May 31, 1896
“He Must Go It Alone,” June 1, 1896
“To Indict Randolph,” June 3, 1896
“Sure He is Innocent,” June 4, 1896
“Inquest at Gaithersburg,” June 7, 1896
“Buxton Family Will Soon Be Well,” June 10, 1896
“Inquest to be Secret,” June 11, 1896
“Buxton Was Too Late,” June 12, 1896
“Jury Holds Randolph,” June 13, 1896
“George Neale Set At Liberty,” June 14, 1896
“Avenged the Murderer,” July 4, 1896
“Feeling at Gaithersburg,” “Two Maryland Lynchings,” and “Lynchers Not Known,” July 5, 1896
“Want to Hang Buxton,” July 6, 1896
“Gov. Lowndes May Take Action,” and “He Met the Avengers,” July 7, 1896
“Bean Dropped a Hint,” July 8, 1896
“Governor Offers Rewards,” July 9, 1896
“Replies to Gov. Lowndes,” July 10, 1896
“Lynchers Still Free,” July 14, 1896
“To Denounce Maryland Lynchers,” July 16, 1896
“Lynch Law Denounced,” July 17, 1896
“To Track the Randolph Lynchers,” July 22, 1896
“To Crush Lynch Law,” July 23, 1896
“The Effects of Lynching,” August 5, 1896
“Sydney Randolph Was Guilty,” October 17, 1896
“Randolph Lynchers Denounced,” November 10, 1896
“Lynchers Not Indicted,” November 24, 1896

The Baltimore Sun

“Prisoners In Baltimore” and “State of Maryland,” May 26, 1896
“In the City Jail” and “The Buxton Assault: Transfer of the wounded family,” May 27, 1896
“The Buxton Assault: State’s Attorney Kilgour…,” May 28, 1896
“The Buxton Assault: A Theory…” and “Condition of the Family,” May 29, 1896
“State of Maryland: Investigating the Buxton case…” and “Appeal to Marshall Frey,” May 30, 1896
“The Buxton Assault: Detective Pohler…” June 1, 1896
“The Buxton Assault: Baltimore City detectives…” June 2, 1896
“Sadie Buxton Dead,” June 6, 1896
“The Buxton Tragedy,” June 10, 1896
“The Buxton Case: Coroner’s Inquest…” June 12, 1896
“The Buxton Case: Verdict of the Coroner’s Jury,” June 13, 1896
“The Buxton Case: Release of George Neal…” June 15, 1896
“Another Lynching” and “Another Brutal Lynching,” July 6, 1896
“State of Maryland: Governor Lowndes…” July 7, 1896
“State of Maryland: Investigating…” July 8, 1896
“The Buxton Case: An Interesting Statement…” July 15, 1896
“The Buxton Murder: Finding of the Coat..” October 17, 1896
“Montgomery County,” October 29, 1896
“The Randolph Lynching, “November 25, 1896

The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.)

“Gashed With an Ax,” May 25, 1896
“Brought to this City” and “Doubtful of Guilt,” May 26, 1896
“A Complicated Case,” May 27, 1896
“Who is the Man?” May 28, 1896
“Sifting Evidence” and “Took Away His Trousers,” May 29, 1896
“Not Identified,” May 30, 1896
[untitled], Gaithersburg, Md., June 1, 1896
“Clues Closing In,” June 2, 1896
“Interviewed the Buxtons” and “Detectives Satisfied,” June 3, 1896
“Conflicting Testimony,” June 4, 1896
“Will Be Murder,” June 5, 1896
“Now it is Murder,” June 6, 1896
“Buxton Mystery,” June 8, 1896
“Randolph’s Guilt,” June 9, 1896
“Many Witnesses Called,” June 10, 1896
“The Buxton Case,” June 11, 1896
“Tell-Tale Tracks,” June 12, 1896
“Randolph is Held,” June 13, 1896
“The Buxton Mystery,” June 18, 1896
“Maud Buxton Getting Well,” June 26, 1896
“Randolph Lynched” and “Punish Every Murderer,” July 4, 1896
“The Randolph Case,” “The Randolph Lynching,” and “What will the Governor Do?” July 6, 1896
“Randolph’s Lynching” and “Denounced by Gov. Lowndes,” July 7, 1896
“Jury is in Earnest,” “Chasing the Lynchers,” and “Reward for Lynchers,” July 8, 1896
“The Governor’s Offer,” July 9, 1896
“The Inquest Concluded,” July 14, 1896
“Anti-Lynching Agitation,” July 24, 1896
“Calls it a Murder” and “The Randolph Lynching,” November 11, 1896
[untitled], November 27, 1896

The Morning Times (Washington, D.C.)

“No Good Clew Yet,” May 26, 1896
“Think Them Not Guilty,” May 27, 1896
“Times Proves His Alibi,” May 28, 1896
“Beating Over the Trail,” May 29, 1896
“Buxtons See Randolph,” May 30, 1896
“Another Buxton Arrest,” May 31, 1896
“New Man on the Trail,” June 1, 1896
“White Man is Involved,” June 2, 1896
“Mystery Grows Clearer,” June 3, 1896
“May be Another Arrest,” June 4, 1896
“Counsel for Randolph,” June 5, 1896
“Sadie Buxton is Dead,” June 6, 1896
“Viewed Sadie’s Remains,” June 7, 1896
“Burial of Sadie Buxton, “June 8, 1896
“Maud Anxious to Talk,” June 9, 1896
“Suspects Have Counsel,” June 10, 1896
“Randolph Gives a Clew,” June 11, 1896
“Inquest Thrown Open,” June 12, 1896
“Randolph Found Guilty,” June 13, 1896
“In Randolph’s Defense,” June 16, 1896
“Detectives Working Dark,” June 17, 1896
“Will Unmask the Mob,” July 5, 1896
“Deputies Guard the Town,” July 6, 1896
“Rockville Still Uneasy,” July 7, 1896
“No Clew to the Lynchers,” July 8, 1896
“Returned to the Hospital,” July 9, 1896
“Enough for the Purpose,” July 11, 1896
“Lynchers Go Unpunished,” July 14, 1896
“Will Expose the Lynchers,” July 17, 1896
“The Montgomery Lynching,” July 20, 1896

The Evening Times (Washington, D.C.)

“He Wielded an Ax,” May 25, 1896
“Assassin Yet Unknown,” May 26, 1896
“Mystery Grows Deeper,” May 27, 1896
“Excitement Dying Out,” May 28, 1896
“Little Sadie’s Last Day,” May 30, 1896
“Going Over the Ground,” June 2, 1896
“Will Question Buxton,” June 3, 1896
“Inquest in Maryland,” June 6, 1896
“The Buxton Case,” June 8, 1896
“Rockville Jail Filled,” June 9, 1896
“Randolph and Neal Safe,” June 10, 1896
“Ready for the Inquest” and “Star Chamber Inquest,” June 11, 1896
“Mr. Buxton Will Testify” and “Randolph’s Stick Found, “June 12, 1896
“Suspects Are Released,” June 13, 1896
“Following a New Clew,” June 16, 1896
“Buxton Case Developments,” June 17, 1896
“Pinkertons on the Case,” June 24, 1896
“Life Choked Out” and “Getting Worse and Worse,” July 4, 1896
“At Gaithersburg,” July 6, 1896
“Speaks in Denunciation,” July 7, 1896
“Acts Against Lynchers,” July 8, 1896
“Favorable to Buxton,” July 9, 1896
“Mass Meeting Postponed,” July 10, 1896
“Inquest Will be Resumed,” July 13, 1896
“A Disgraceful Verdict,” July 14, 1896
“Not a Race Question,” July 24, 1896
“Buxton House Protected,” July 17, 1896
“Willful Murder,” November 11, 1896
“Randolph Lynching,” November 24, 1896
“Montgomery’s Queer Grand Jury,” November 25, 1896

The Montgomery County Sentinel (Rockville, MD)

“A Murderous Assault,” May 29, 1896
[untitled], June 5, 1896
“Death of Sadie Buxton,” June 12, 1896
“The Buxton Case,” June 19, 1896
“Cocking Lynched,” July 3, 1896
“The Lynching” and “Randolph Lynched,” July 10, 1896
“The Randolph Inquest,” and “A Calm Appeal,” July 17, 1896
“Circuit Court” and “Judge Henderson’s Charge,” November 13, 1896
“Report of the Grand Jury,” November 27, 1896

The Montgomery Press (Gaithersburg, MD)

“Benefit for the Buxton Family,” May 29, 1896
“The Gaithersburg Tragedy,” June 5, 1896
“Majesty of the Law,” November 13, 1896

The News (Frederick, MD)

“Other Suspects,” May 27, 1896
“Failed to Identify Randolph,” May 30, 1896
“Threats of Vengeance,” July 6, 1896

The Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser (Washington, D.C.)

“Another Lynching,” July 6, 1896

The New York Times

“Lynched a Suspected Negro,” July 5, 1896

The Randolph lynching was reported in newspapers in at least 37 states, as well as other parts of Maryland, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It was also reported in several foreign-language papers and in British Columbia, Canada.

The Cocking murders and the lynching of Joseph Cocking
April 24, 1896-April 8, 1898
Researched articles from:
The Washington Post
The Alexandra Gazette
The Evening Star
The Baltimore Sun
The National Republican
The Washington Critic
The Morning/Evening Times (Washington)
Maryland Independent
Richmond Planet
Prince George’s Enquirer
St. Mary’s Beacon

Details of the murder and subsequent case widely reported in newspapers in the following states and territories: Arizona, California, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Missouri, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia; the case was also reported in two Maryland German-language papers.

The Gloyd Assault and the Case against George Neale
May 26, 1886-June 13, 1887
Researched Articles from:
The Washington Post
The Alexandra Gazette
The Evening Star
The Baltimore Sun
The National Republican
The Washington Critic

Content published on February 2, 2021 by Sarah Hedlund, Archivist/Librarian. Content copyright Montgomery History, 2021, all rights reserved.