[Henry Smith]

This image shows a photograph of Henry Smith at the Paris, Texas, train station after his forcible return from Arkansas (see 482.1990). Smith's gruesome murder exemplifies the near-ritualistic nature of a typical lynching, the drama unfolding over several carefully orchestrated acts. Pictured here is one stage in the public spectacle: the delivery of the criminal to justice while he is kept safely under control. Two white men in respectable dress stand on either side of Smith, clutching his arms. Smith alone looks directly into the camera, with apparent resignation to his fate.