Justice System

This image shows a photograph of Henry Smith at the Paris, Texas, train station after his forcible return from Arkansas. Smith's gruesome murder exemplifies the near ritualistic nature of a typical lynching, the drama unfolding over several carefully orchestrated acts. Pictured here is one stage in the public spectacle: the delivery of the criminal to 'justice' while he is kept safely under control. Two white men stand on either side of Smith, clutching his arms. Smith alone looks directly into the camera, with apparent resignation to his fate.

Sources: African American Vernacular Photography: Selections from the Daniel Cowin Collection