The Lynching of Zachariah Walker

As an angry mob dragged him from the hospital, Zachariah Walker is said to have cried, “For God’s sake, give a man a chance! I killed Rice in self-defense. Don’t give me no crooked death because I’m not white!” His pleas, however, fell on deaf ears. In a field just outside the borough of Coatesville, Walker was thrown into a hastily constructed fire. Three times he attempted to crawl out, only to be pushed back in until he moved no more. A crowd estimated between 3,000 to 5,000 men, women, and children witnessed Walker’s ordeal with a calm resolve.