A Knoxville reenactment: Yates City man sentenced to hang

John Osborne was a Yates City man who was sentenced to execution in 1873 after being convicted of murder.

His story is of note as he is the only man to be legally hanged in Knox County.
In the former Knox County Courthouse in Knoxville, locals including Knox County Judge Stephen Mathers, Knoxville Police Chief Ron Poyner and State Representative Don Moffitt acted out a play of the Osborne trial yesterday afternoon.

About 125 people attended the play.

Written by Knoxville Tourism Associate Vicky Mundwiler, the play was a reenactment of sorts based on court transcripts and local news articles.

Mundwiler tells WGIL the 1800s trial brought as many as 2,000 spectators who wanted to get a look at the proceedings and even more came out for the hanging

“The day of the hanging there were over 5,000 people here in Knoxville and it was big event,” Mundwiler says. “They brought their picnic lunches, their children. It was pretty big deal.”

She says her next play is already in the works.

“There was a slave that escaped from down south,” Mundwiler says. “Her name is Sally Richardson and she came to Knoxville because Knoxville was well known to be anti-slavery.”

She hopes to hold the next play in the newly constructed Knoxville High School Auditorium.

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