Lynching of Alexander Washington
October 11, 1886
Text
City: Somerset, Texas
County: Atascosa County
Race or Ethnicity of Victim: Black
Gender of Victim: Male
Age of Victim: Unknown
Alleged Crime: Attempted Rape
Manner of Death: Hanged
Source of Information: Chicago Tribune
Note: When Alexander “Aleck” Washington was lynched, the town of Somerset was located in Atascosa County. The town of “old” Somerset, settled primarily by Anglo-Americans from Kentucky, was moved to Bexar County in the early 20th century when the railway bypassed the town’s original location. - David C. Carlson, Ph.D.
