John Rhode Shillady (1875[1]-1943)[2] was an Irish-American political activist who was Executive Secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1918 to 1920.
The next day, after meeting with various officials, he was confronted by a mob of 8 to 10 white men, including county judge David Pickle, constable Charles Hamby, and Ben Pierce.
"[5]: 9–10 "Effort was made to show that the National Association was attempting to violate the laws of Texas by…favoring equal and unsegregated accommodations on railroad cars.
[6]) The others joined in, and he was "severely beaten";[7][6] in addition to a black eye, he was bleeding from the head, and his body as well as his face was "badly bruised.
[6] Pickle made a statement to a reporter: Shillady was warned by several persons in the county that his agitation didn't sit well with the people of the neighborhood and that it would be wise for him to desist.When we heard of his going downtown…we decided to go down, meet him, and as private citizens and not in our official capacity, to give him a good thrashing on general principles.Shillady was advocating the doing away of all Jim Crow laws, the establishment of racial equality as far as use of hotels, restaurants, theaters, passenger trains, pullman sleepers and similar stuff.
[11]"Governor William P. Hobby blamed Shillady";[12] he was quoted in the press saying "I believe in sending any narrow-brained, double-chinned reformer who comes here with the end in view of stirring up racial discontent back to the North where he came from, with a broken jaw if necessary.