Jane Elkins
Jane Elkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jane c. 1800 Dallas, Texas |
| Died | May 27, 1853 Dallas, Texas |
| Known for | The first Texan woman to be legally executed |
Criminal charges | Murder |
Criminal penalty | Death by hanging |
Jane Elkins (c. 1800 - May 27, 1853) was an enslaved African American woman from Dallas, Texas. She is known for being the first woman to be legally executed in Texas.
Early life
[edit]Jane Elkins was born around the year 1800 in Dallas, Texas. Some accounts say she was born later, in the 1820s. In 1844, she was sold by Edward Welborn to John Young for $400.[1] Jane was the first person to be legally sold in Dallas county.[2]
Young then sold Jane to Smith E. Elkins, from whom she gets her surname. America Elkins, the wife of Mr. Elkins, hired Jane out to Andrew C. Wisdom. Wisdom, a widower, lived near Farmers Branch with his two children. Jane watched the Wisdom children and did most of the domestic tasks.[1]
State of Texas vs. Jane, a Slave
[edit]In 1852, Jane allegedly killed Wisdom using an axe while he slept. Jane's precise motive is not known; various sources claim the murder was due to psychosis, revenge for a sexual assault,[3] or wanting to be a free woman.[4] Other sources claim that Jane was innocent and did not commit the crime at all.[5][6]
The Dallas County Grand Jury indicted Jane for the murder on May 10, 1853. Judge John H. Reagan oversaw the case with a jury composed of all white, Southern men. The case was named "State of Texas vs. Jane, a Slave." Jane pled not guilty, and did not speak for the entirety of the trial.[6] Jane was convicted of Wilson's murder on May 16.[1]
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Judge Reagan sentenced Jane to death by hanging on the following day, May 17. On May 27, 1853, Jane was hanged outside the Dallas County Courthouse. According to historian Daina Ramey Berry, several hundred white people gathered to watch her execution.[1] Jane was the first woman to be legally executed in the state of Texas.[7]
According to the historian George Keaton, it is unlikely that Jane received a fair trial.[6]
Burial
[edit]At the time of her execution, Jane was worth "$700."[5][7] Jane's body was initially put in a shallow grave near the Dallas courthouse. However, her body was later used as a medical cadaver for science.[1]
Legacy
[edit]In 2014, Jane's story was turned into a play entitled "The Ballad of Jane Elkins" by playwright Anyika McMillan-Herod, who first heard the story from her grandmother.[8] Jane is played by actress Sydney Hewitt.[7] The play supports the theory that Jane was a victim of rape by Wilson, causing her to commit the murder.[6]
On June 22, 2024, Jane was memorialized with a historical marker at Martyrs Park near Dealey Plaza.[9] The project, consisting of multiple historical markers for victims of racially-motivated violence, was advocated for by George Keaton and his organization Remembering Black Dallas.[2][10][11]
See also
[edit]- Josefa Rodríguez, long considered the only woman legally hanged in Texas (in 1863)[12]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Donna Gosbee, “Jane Elkins,” Human Rights Dallas Maps, accessed August 11, 2026, https://humanrightsdallasmaps.com/items/show/2.
- 1 2 Thomas, MiCaih (2024-06-21). "Dallas Recognizes the History of Martyrs Park, Hidden in Plain Sight". D Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Carter, Tyler (2021-12-23). "OP-ED: Over A Century Later, Dallas' 'Strange Fruit' Yields Single Crop". Dallas Weekly. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Phillips, Michael (2010). White Metropolis: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion in Dallas, 1841-2001. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292774249.
- 1 2 Lantz, Gene (2016-06-05). "Jane Elkins Died for Us". genelantz. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- 1 2 3 4 "Questions Linger Over 1853 Hanging Of Dallas Slave Jane Elkins Convicted Of Axe Murder - CBS Texas". www.cbsnews.com. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- 1 2 3 ""The Ballad of Jane Elkins," Texas slave woman hanged". People's World. 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "The Ballad of Jane Elkins". Anyika Mcmillan-Herod. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "Remembering Black Dallas Inc". Remembering Black Dallas Inc. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Acharya, Pavan; Jones, Aria (2024-06-28). "'We give them a voice': Victims of racial violence in Dallas memorialized at Martyrs Park". Dallas News. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "City of Dallas will unveil Historical Markers to Memorialize Victims of Violence". City of Dallas. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Marylyn Underwood, “Rodriguez, Josefa [Chipita],” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed August 11, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/rodriguez-josefa-chipita.
- People from Dallas
- 1853 deaths
- 19th-century executions by Texas
- People executed by Texas by hanging
- Axe murder
- American people executed for murder
- People convicted of murder by Texas
- 19th-century executions of American people
- Executed American women
- 19th-century African-American women
- 19th-century American slaves
- American women slaves