Wesley Everest - Castration Myth

Castration Myth

Many books about the Centralia case state that Everest was castrated while being driven to his lynching. A careful review of the historical record strongly suggests that castration never took place. The first published account of castration appeared over four months after the fact. The IWW members who saw Everest's body in the jail after the lynching said nothing about mutilation in interviews with the press at the time. The coroner's jury, which examined the body on November 13 was likewise silent. The IWW defense lawyers said nothing about castration during the three-month trial when it might have done some good for the defense. Those who placed his body in the coffin said nothing about castration. A 1930 objective account of the Centralia case, published by the Council of Churches, concluded that the castration story "has not been clearly established."

One significant piece of evidence makes a strong case to discredit the castration story. After Everest's body was returned to the jail following his lynching, a man (presumably a police officer) examined his body and filed a police report dated November 12th. The report includes a set of fingerprints and a description of the body, including the color of his eyes and hair. It estimates Everest's height and weight. Then it notes: "No scars that could be located on the body outside where rope cut neck hole that looked like bullet hole Prints taken in the Jail at Centralia, Wash. room very dark to see any thing on the body in line scars: rope was still around the neck of the man." If the police officer was looking for scars and could see the color of Everest's eyes and hair, he could hardly miss evidence of castration.