Page 26 - Leisure Living Magazine May 2018

“The Law Was Upheld... But At Fearful Cost”
By Justice Paul Pfeifer, Ohio Supreme Court
Throughout my years of trav- eling around this state, I have gained an ap- preciation for Ohio’s county courthouses, the architectural jewels that are the crossroads of life in our towns and cities.
It’s no ac-
cident that the
courthouse
is usually the
grandest, most
prominent building in a county seat, often occu- pying a stand-alone square at the center of town. Our courthouses, many over a century old, were constructed as a lasting testament that says some- thing very important about the people who built them. They speak of the belief in the rule of law and its central role in the life of a community. They symbolize stability and order over chaos, and they represent the triumph of justice over inequity.
Several years ago, I had the honor of speaking at the rededication ceremony for the newly reno-
Washington Court House, Ohio
vated courthouse in Washington Court House, the county seat of Fayette County.
Since 1885, the magnificent building at the corner of Main and Court has stood guard over that quiet town. But on the eve- ning of Oct. 17, 1894, the quiet was shattered,
and the court-
house became the epicenter of a frozen moment that left a perma-
nent mark.
The drama began to unfold on Oct. 9, 1894,
when Mary Catherine Parrott Boyd – a 53-year- old widow – was physically and sexually attacked. Mary was white; her alleged assailant – William “Jasper” Dolby – was a 19-year-old black man.
Dolby, who had fled, was later apprehended in Delaware, Ohio. Upon capture, he confessed to the crime and expressed regret for his actions. When he was brought to the Fayette County jail, Sheriff James Cook quickly realized that an ugly state of unrest was fast developing in town.
Dozens of townspeople – convinced that Ohio’s criminal penalties weren’t sufficient – be- gan gathering around the Courthouse Square de- manding that Cook release Dolby to the swelling crowd. Cook heard rumblings of a lynching.
Believing that his forces couldn’t protect Dol- by, Cook called out the local unit of the Ohio Na- tional Guard on the evening of Oct. 16. As the crowd increased, Cook contacted Governor Wil- liam McKinley for additional troops. Reinforce- ments soon arrived from Columbus under com- mand of Colonel Alonzo Coit.
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26 |LeisureLiving May 2018
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