A Chinese Suspect Was Lynched Within Hours

On October 19, 1858, at Cook’s Bar in Sacramento County, a Chinese man accused of murdering Sarah Neal was seized by local residents and lynched within hours. The Evening Star reported that he was “hastily tried” and that “in a few hours” he was “hanging to a tree.” The Detroit Free Press summarized that he was “hung by a mob two hours after the crime.” The case shows how quickly an accusation involving a white victim could lead to immediate extralegal execution.