October 7, 1892
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Milbry Brown (15) is executed following a conviction for murdering an infant
The infant was allegedly killed in its sleep by carbolic acid being poured down its throat. During trial, it was suggested that Brown, a black teen, took her frustrations from mistreatments out on the child. According to Women and Capital Punishment in America, 1840-1899: Death Sentences and Executions in the United States and Canada by Kerry Segrave, Brown had been admonished by her employer Mrs. Carpenter for sweeping too slowly. In retaliation, Brown grabbed a bottle of carbolic acid (used at the time as a disinfectant, antiseptic, or herbicide) from a mantle and poured the liquid down the baby’s throat.
Clipping: The Watchman and the Southron (Sumpter, SC), Oct. 19, 1892
