20,000 people watched a Black man hang in Owensboro 90 years ago. A new book looks at why

20,000 people watched a Black man hang in Owensboro 90 years ago. A new book looks at why

In 1936, in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators, Rainey Bethea was hanged in Owensboro at the last public execution in the United States. A new book by an Owensboro native examines Bethea's case and lynch culture in America.(Associated Press)In the summer of 1936, Rainey Bethea was put to death in Owensboro. His hanging on the banks of the Ohio River drew tens of thousands to the western Kentucky city and created a media circus that made wav…