On July 22, 1910, in Belton, Texas, Constable James W. Mitchell, a 30-year-old white male, was fatally shot while investigating reports of a suspected "peeper." After an unsuccessful search, Constable Mitchell was returning to his office when the suspect emerged and shot him in the back. Despite his injuries, Constable Mitchell managed to identify the assailant to fellow officers before succumbing to his wounds.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Henry Gentry, an African American male, was accused of murdering Constable Mitchell and attempting rape. Following a massive manhunt, Gentry was apprehended. In a brutal act of vigilante justice, he was shot, dragged through Belton's main street, and his body was burned.
This incident reflects the racial tensions and extrajudicial actions prevalent in early 20th-century Texas. The lynching of Henry Gentry, without a formal trial, underscores the era's systemic injustices and the community's resort to mob violence in response to crimes, particularly those involving accusations against African American individuals.
