Lynching of 15-Year-Old Walter Sullivan Portland, Louisiana

Walter Sullivan, a 15-year-old African-American male, resided in Bonita, Louisiana on the Highway of Wilmot located south of the Arkansas line, with both of his parents, Daniel and Malindy Sullivan, two brothers, 8-year-old Cud, and 18-year-old Vigil.[1]According to an article in the Arkansas Gazette, 53-year-old widower, possible farmer, and merchant, William D. Roddy, was shot from behind on Saturday evening, September 27, 1902, in front of his store in Portland.[2]Reportedly, Roddy had “thrashed” one of Walter’s brothers a few days earlier, so suspicion initially fell on Walter’s father about Roddy’s shooting.[3]Unsure as to why Walter vanished the evening of Roddy’s shooting, bloodhounds were released by authorities in search of  Walter.[4]Eventually, Walter was found near Wilmot in Ashley County, by Frank Barnes, who was a Deputy Sheriff and returned him to Portland.[5]Walter sat alone unguarded in the evening hours.[6]The fact this Walter wasn’t guarded at night or at all, was very strange being that he was being held in jail on suspicion of Roddy’s shooting.

            In the end, the fact that this was strange, became even more strange when the jail was found unlocked.[7]There were no guards nor was it locked, because on the morning around 3:00 on October 1, someone removed Walter from his jail cell.[8]When Walter was later found, his body was riddled with bullets and “ hanging from a small water oak tree, mangled and streaming with blood.”[9]Unknown parties shot Walter and excitement about Walter’s death filled the town, but soon quieted down leaving the town of being unaware that a lynching had even taken place.[10]Soon a twisted “joke” about a negro boy, who broke out of jail had lynched himself.[11]Roddy was rushed to Little Rock (Pulaski County) and treated for his injury at the hospital at St. Vincent.[12]The day of Walter’s murder, Roddy’s condition displayed very little improvement, but unsure if he survived the shooting or not from the reports.[13]It’s beyond unfortunate and sad how judgement was swift and immediately carried out on Walter, when no evidence even suggested that he had committed the shooting.  

[1]Nancy Snell Griffith, “Walter Sullivan (Lynching of),” Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 28 February 2020, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/walter-sullivan-12545/.

[2]Nancy Snell Griffith.

[3]Ibid.

[4]Ibid.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Ibid.

[7]Ibid.

[8]Ibid.

[9]Ibid.

[10]Ibid.

[11]Ibid.

[12]Ibid.

[13]Ibid.

Bibliography

Griffith, Nancy Snell, “Walter Sullivan (Lynching of),” Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 28 February

            2020,https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/walter-sullivan-12545/.