March 17, 1875 *Florence Gazette* article reporting the arrest and incarceration of local African-American Jo Beckard on a charge of drunk and disorderly. ]]> A January, 1875 *Florence Gazette* report of local blacks Sylvester Hargraves and Henry Donnegan being arrested on January 22 on a charge of hog stealing. Hargraves was sentenced to "Castle Blair" (a reference to the county jail after Chief of Police Ed Blair) for thirty days by Mayor Brock, while Donnegan escaped the officers.]]> April 21, 1904 *Florence Herald* report of the shooting of Frank Mooton by Deputy Broadfoot.

At a barbecue in East Florence sponsored by Florence's black community Mooton began firing a pistol around 5 pm, drawing the attention of the police who were monitoring the festivities. Overtaking Mooton on his "wheel," or bicycle, Deputy Broadfoot ordered the fugitive to stop, but instead of halting Mooton drew his pistol and attempted to fire at Broadfoot, but his weapon not firing, turned to run again. At that moment Broadfoot fired at Mooton, wounding him in the hip. A physician was sent for and Mooton's injuries declared not serious.]]> A June 10, 1908 *Florence Herald* report of black Oakland resident Elzoda [sic] Crittenden being fined $10 by Justice of the Peace CW Lemay "Friday morning, for an assault on Bessie Armstead, also colored," six miles west of Florence with rocks.]]> A Saturday, August 29, 1889 *Florence Herald* report of black resident George Roach's arrest on the charge of breaking and entering the house of GM Olive some 14 miles from Florence. Roach, who stole 18 lbs of bacon and some flour, was apprehended by three unnamed black men who tricked him into going into town with them, and tried by Justice Henry D. Smith in Florence. Roach, who claimed hunger as his reason for stealing the food, plead guilty and was bound over to the circuit court on a bail of $300. If convicted he could face up to three years in the mines.]]> A Friday, April 1, 1921 *Florence Herald* report of the trial and sentencing of local black Charley Jackson on the charge of arson, specifically with "burning Bob Buckingham's house." Jackson was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary.]]> A Thursday, December 21, 1899 *Florence Herald* report of an altercation between two employees of Joseph Milner & Son, Druggists, black employee Bob Buckingham and seventeen year-old white employee Lewis Bibb, in a storeroom at Milner's, which resulted in Buckingham's throat being slit by Bibb. Had Dr. Boyd not been present and quickly intervened to staunch the bleeding Buckingham would've died however his "wound was dressed" and he "will probably be able to be up in a short while." Bibb was arrested and made his $500 bond "immediately." The case would go to trial as soon as Buckingham's wounds were healed. Bibb elects to keep silent until the trial.

Both Buckingham and Bibb are held to be upstanding, polite young men and "white and black alike hope that the negro's wounds will soon heal."]]> A May 24, 1935 *Florence Herald* article reporting on the slaying of 60 year-old black resident Minnis [sic] Walston by 17 year-old black resident Dave Vaughn by stabbing at Handy Hill in West Florence. According to Vaughn "he and the elderly negro became involved in an argument and that he stabbed him after the negro man cursed him."]]> A Friday, January 5, 1934 *Florence Herald* report of the arrest in Alton, Illinois and extradition to Florence of Normal Neal for the murder of Robert Buckingham, Jr. "several months ago."]]> A September, 1938 *Florence Herald* report on the winding up of the recent term of Circuit Court, setting out the sentences of all those convicted., including several African-American men and women: Butler Woods plead guilty to assault with a weapon and was sentenced to one year; Leman Armstead plead guilty to grand larceny and would be sentenced "today"; James Stubblefield plead guilty to burglary and was also set to be sentenced "today"; Willie Brown convicted of moonshining, Kennel [sic] Medlock [sic] and John Fenner, convicted of grand larceny are also to be sentenced "today"; Indiana Morgan is convicted of assault with a weapon and fined $200 for stabbing a Negro man in the back.]]>