View Full Version : An interesting read re a black baseball player who was murdered in 1871
ValKehl
10-09-2020, 08:46 AM
This piece from today's Wash. Post Sports Section is about a black baseball player and civil rights advocate who was murdered at age 32 way back in 1871. I don't recall ever learning anything about this guy, Octavius V. Catto. I think you all will find this to be an interesting read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/10/08/octavius-catto-black-voting-rights-philadelphia/
Jason19th
10-09-2020, 08:50 AM
There was a full length biography about Catto released about 10 years ago
samosa4u
10-09-2020, 10:11 AM
Kelly fled town after Catto’s death. He was eventually captured and returned to Philadelphia for trial. Witnesses identified Kelly as the murderer. The Philadelphia Times said the evidence was “overwhelming” to convict Kelly. An all-white jury exonerated him.
Sad.
Kidnapped18
10-11-2020, 01:14 PM
Great article...thanks for posting!
btcarfagno
10-11-2020, 07:15 PM
There was a full length biography about Catto released about 10 years ago
It was outstanding and a real eye opener regarding race relations in the north during the years before during and just after the civil war. Highly recommended
NYYFan63
10-11-2020, 09:14 PM
Kelly fled town after Catto’s death. He was eventually captured and returned to Philadelphia for trial. Witnesses identified Kelly as the murderer. The Philadelphia Times said the evidence was “overwhelming” to convict Kelly. An all-white jury exonerated him.
Sad.
Wow - that is sad.
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Kelly fled town after Catto’s death. He was eventually captured and returned to Philadelphia for trial. Witnesses identified Kelly as the murderer. The Philadelphia Times said the evidence was “overwhelming” to convict Kelly. An all-white jury exonerated him.
Sad.
I was glad to read that Luke Easter's murderers were convicted but that might have been due more to the fact they fired at the police? I also don't know the race of the murderers so that also might have something to do with it?
Such a shame many great black ball players were denied a chance to show the world what they had.
https://miscbaseball.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/luke-easters-career-and-murder-in-1979/