Michael Donald --
A twenty year old African American who was murdered in Mobile , Alabama in 1981 by two Klu Klux Klan's men (James Knowles and Henry hays). Donald was a victim of Knowles and Hays outrage about the mistrial on the Josephus Anderson trial which they believe was caused by the few African American jurors in the court. The two Klan's men ,in their anger drove around mobile looking for a target and spotted Donald walking home from getting his sister a pack of cigarettes. The two Klan's men then kidnapped Donald, drove him to a wooded area then proceeded to beat him with a tree limb before ,slitting his throat and hanging him. In June 1983, Knowles was found guilty of violating Donald's civil rights and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Six months later, when Hays was tried for murder He was found guilty and sentenced to death.
A twenty year old African American who was murdered in Mobile , Alabama in 1981 by two Klu Klux Klan's men (James Knowles and Henry hays). Donald was a victim of Knowles and Hays outrage about the mistrial on the Josephus Anderson trial which they believe was caused by the few African American jurors in the court. The two Klan's men ,in their anger drove around mobile looking for a target and spotted Donald walking home from getting his sister a pack of cigarettes. The two Klan's men then kidnapped Donald, drove him to a wooded area then proceeded to beat him with a tree limb before ,slitting his throat and hanging him. In June 1983, Knowles was found guilty of violating Donald's civil rights and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Six months later, when Hays was tried for murder He was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Karl Gorath --
In 1938 Karl Gorath was arrested at his house under paragraph 175 of the criminal code, which defined homosexuality as an "unnatural" act. Gorath was imprisoned at the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg where the "175ers" had to wear a pink triangle, but because Gorath had some previous training as a nurse, he was transferred to work at the prisoner hospital at the Wittenberg subcamp. One day, a guard ordered him to decrease the bread ration for the patients who were Polish war prisoners, but Gorath refused, telling him that it was inhuman to treat the Poles in that way. As punishment, he was sent to Auschwitz, and this time, rather than being marked as a "175er," he wore the red triangle of the political prisoners. Karl was later liberated in Auschwitz 1945.
In 1938 Karl Gorath was arrested at his house under paragraph 175 of the criminal code, which defined homosexuality as an "unnatural" act. Gorath was imprisoned at the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg where the "175ers" had to wear a pink triangle, but because Gorath had some previous training as a nurse, he was transferred to work at the prisoner hospital at the Wittenberg subcamp. One day, a guard ordered him to decrease the bread ration for the patients who were Polish war prisoners, but Gorath refused, telling him that it was inhuman to treat the Poles in that way. As punishment, he was sent to Auschwitz, and this time, rather than being marked as a "175er," he wore the red triangle of the political prisoners. Karl was later liberated in Auschwitz 1945.
Harry Pauly --
When the Nazis came to power, they closed the bars on gays. Some homosexuals, especially those who were Jewish, were killed by the Nazis. In 1936 Pauly was arrested under the Nazi-revised paragraph 175 of the criminal code, which outlawed homosexuality. He was imprisoned in a camp at Neusustrum, where he worked in the marshes 12 hours a day. After 15 months Pauly was released. In 1943 Pauly was turned in by two boys pressured by the Gestapo to denounce homosexuals. Again he was sentenced under paragraph 175,but again he was released, but this time after only eight months because friends in the theater intervened on his behalf. Pauly was then drafted into the army ,but wherever he went, people knew of his 175 conviction and called him a "dirty faggot." He couldn't stand it and deserted twice. Finally, as punishment, Pauly was sent to a special combat unit in which almost everyone was killed. Somehow Pauly managed to survive. After the war, Pauly started his own small theater.
When the Nazis came to power, they closed the bars on gays. Some homosexuals, especially those who were Jewish, were killed by the Nazis. In 1936 Pauly was arrested under the Nazi-revised paragraph 175 of the criminal code, which outlawed homosexuality. He was imprisoned in a camp at Neusustrum, where he worked in the marshes 12 hours a day. After 15 months Pauly was released. In 1943 Pauly was turned in by two boys pressured by the Gestapo to denounce homosexuals. Again he was sentenced under paragraph 175,but again he was released, but this time after only eight months because friends in the theater intervened on his behalf. Pauly was then drafted into the army ,but wherever he went, people knew of his 175 conviction and called him a "dirty faggot." He couldn't stand it and deserted twice. Finally, as punishment, Pauly was sent to a special combat unit in which almost everyone was killed. Somehow Pauly managed to survive. After the war, Pauly started his own small theater.
Jesse Washington --
Jesse Washington, a teenage African-American farmhand, was lynched in Waco, Texas, on May 15, 1916. Washington was accused of raping and murdering Lucy Fryer, the wife of his white employer in rural Robinson, Texas. During his interrogation by the McLennan County sheriff he signed a confession and described the location of the murder weapon. Washington was tried for murder in Waco, in a courtroom filled with furious locals. He entered a guilty plea and was quickly sentenced to death. After his sentence was pronounced, he was dragged out of the court by observers and lynched in front of Waco's city hall. Over 10,000 spectators, including city officials and police, gathered to watch the attack. There was a celebratory atmosphere at the event, and many children attended also. Members of the mob castrated Washington, cut off his fingers, and hung him over a bonfire. He was repeatedly lowered and raised over the fire for two hours. After the fire was extinguished, his charred torso was dragged through the town and parts of his body were sold as souvenirs. A professional photographer took pictures as the event unfolded, providing rare imagery of a lynching in progress. The pictures were printed and sold as postcards in Waco.
Jesse Washington, a teenage African-American farmhand, was lynched in Waco, Texas, on May 15, 1916. Washington was accused of raping and murdering Lucy Fryer, the wife of his white employer in rural Robinson, Texas. During his interrogation by the McLennan County sheriff he signed a confession and described the location of the murder weapon. Washington was tried for murder in Waco, in a courtroom filled with furious locals. He entered a guilty plea and was quickly sentenced to death. After his sentence was pronounced, he was dragged out of the court by observers and lynched in front of Waco's city hall. Over 10,000 spectators, including city officials and police, gathered to watch the attack. There was a celebratory atmosphere at the event, and many children attended also. Members of the mob castrated Washington, cut off his fingers, and hung him over a bonfire. He was repeatedly lowered and raised over the fire for two hours. After the fire was extinguished, his charred torso was dragged through the town and parts of his body were sold as souvenirs. A professional photographer took pictures as the event unfolded, providing rare imagery of a lynching in progress. The pictures were printed and sold as postcards in Waco.