A Lynch Mob Foiled (Monologue) by Donald E. Baker

MONOLOGUE: 5-6 minutes. A besieged jail. A frightened Black prisoner. An angry White mob. A sheriff determined to uphold the rule of law. A daring escape in the dead of night. Julius August “Gus” Lemcke (pronounced “LEM-key”) was sheriff of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, in 1880 when a clash between overheated political partisans resulted in a Black Republican and a White Democrat shooting each other. The White...
MONOLOGUE: 5-6 minutes. A besieged jail. A frightened Black prisoner. An angry White mob. A sheriff determined to uphold the rule of law. A daring escape in the dead of night. Julius August “Gus” Lemcke (pronounced “LEM-key”) was sheriff of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, in 1880 when a clash between overheated political partisans resulted in a Black Republican and a White Democrat shooting each other. The White man was cared for by his friends. The Black man ended up in the county jail, surrounded by armed and angry citizens determined to lynch him from the nearest tree. This monologue is adapted from Lemcke’s own account of this episode in his 1905 published memoir.
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A Lynch Mob Foiled (Monologue)

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  • Morey Norkin:
    20 Jul. 2023
    “ Don Baker takes us back to Indiana in 1880 through the recollection of Sheriff Gus Lemcke. Baker provides a vivid picture of that era through the authentic language of this monologue. The story of this White sheriff protecting a Black prisoner from an angry White mob is compelling and frightening knowing how it could have turned out. Another excellent example of Baker shining a spotlight on injustice and those willing to stand against it. ”
  • Ian Donley:
    26 Jul. 2022
    “ The language is vividly clear. From the first paragraph to the last sentence, the story is giving its full complexity and nuance.
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  • Charles Scott Jones:
    25 Jul. 2022
    “ This monologue is so powerful for the simple direct voice of Gus Lemcke, a Republican sheriff, in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, 1880 - from a memoir adapted by Donald E Baker. If current events lead us to believe that times are bad, a historical reflection like A LYNCH MOB FAILED gives hope that we too shall persevere and prevail. The details of this piece are astounding, from the sheriff's family living under the same roof as the convicts in the jail, to the monologue's brilliant last line that I won't spoil. Please read this wonderful piece! ”
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Julius Augustus Lemcke, age 50, sheriff