The Case of Ethel Wilson

By all accounts, Ethel Wilson was a girl who made sure she was well dressed most of the time.  She was born in Dallas in 1881, where her parents, Charlotte and Wood Wilson, worked as washerwoman and railroad worker to provide for her and her brother [1]. Ethel Wilson might have moved to Los Angeles, California, independently. There she would have joined a small community of African Americans, about 2,000, who were lured by the promises of the West Coast. 

An unfortunate encounter with a white man would lead to Ethel Wilson’s arrest. The man claimed that she took 17 dollars from him. Ethel was searched even after claiming she has nothing to hide. Even without actual evidence, the case went to court.  The jury decided that the man’s accusations as well as another jailed woman’s claim of Wilson’s confession were enough to sentence Ethel to three years in prison. The jury took 15 minutes.

 In Los Angeles Times, Ethel was labeled a “demimonde” [2].  The Los Angeles Herald  described her as “saucy” and “black as the ace of spades” [3]. These attacks on Ethel’s character implied—even before conviction—an innate propensity for criminal actions. Ethel’s denial and the lack of evidence were non-mitigating factors in her trial. Ethel was released in 1902; by then, she ‘d had spent three years of her early adulthood in San Quentin Prison. 

References 

[1] Year: 1880; Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: 1299; Family History Film: 1255299; Page: 98B; Enumeration District: 057

[2] “ROBBED A SWEDE.” Los Angeles Times, Aug 22 1898, pp. 10, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times.

[3] “Walker’s Dark Secret.” Los Angeles Herald, May 27, 1899, California Digital Newspaper Collection.

Tue, May 30, 1899 – 12 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com Thu, Jul 27, 1899 – 10 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com