Duluth Editor Succumbs to Brief Illness.
Type of event: Afterwards
Location: Duluth; St. Louis County; Minnesota; United States
Citation:
St. Paul Echo, May 29, 1926, page 1, 4.
“Duluth Editor Succumbs to Brief Illness.”
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DULUTH EDITOR
SUCCUMBS
TO
BRIEF ILLNESS
John L. Morrison, Editor-Pub-
lisher of “The Rip Saw,” Vic-
time
of Fatal Illness.
Urged Legal Equality
After Lynching in 1920, Printed
Facts;
Condemned Officials
For Negligence
Duluth, Minn., May 24.–John L. Morrison, editor and publisher of
“The Rip Saw,” and lover and advocate of law and justice for all, is
dead.
It was he who first discovered and published in his paper the
“Rip Saw” that a great injustice had been done the colored circus
hands that were mobbed and done to death in this city in 1920. At that time the
tension was strained to the breaking point between the races and everybody that
was able armed themselves and resolved to die before being lynched.
Refuted Accusation.
Editor Morrison made a thorough investigation of the affair and published
his findings boldly with glaring headline thus–“Negores Did Not Rape
the 17-year-old White Girl as Alleged.” So eager was the public to know
the truth that the first edition was soon bought up entirely; then the second
edition was published because the demand was so great and it was soon exhausted;
then the third and fourth editions and they were still going like hot
cakes.
The editor said then that his paper was never in such demand
before.
Editor Morrison still maintained that a great mistake had been made
and it has never been proved that he was wrong, and most people believe he told
the truth.
Condemned Officials.
The openly condemned mob violence and all those who were connected with that
horrible crime, even the authorities that permitted it to happen, and was not
content until the principals of the mob were convicted and the chief of police
and the head of public safety and been retired from office.
Previous to this
time one found reading the “Rip Saw” was looked upon with suspicion
but a mail carrier claimed that on his route where he had delivered only a few
copies before, he was required to carry a great many copies of the “Rip
Saw” to the very best people.
Underground Railway.
Mr. Morrison was born in Tabor, Iowa, near the famous “Mason and Dixon Line.” His family belonged to the anti-slavery group and many
(Continued on page 4)
DULUTH EDITOR DIES
AFTER SHORT
ILLNESS.
(Continued from page 1)
were the slaves that domiciled on his father’s premises during the day
and fled north by night. When he noticed food being carried out to the barn he
knew that some fugitives were on their way to freedom.
John L. Morrison had
a number of relics of old John Brown of Harper’s Ferry fame and he
remembered when the noted abolitionist had stopped at his father’s place
on his way from Kansas.
If there were more John L. Morrisons or men like
him, Americans would have less cause for shame.
As there was only one Fred
Douglass, one Abraham Lincoln, one Booker T. Washington, one Wendell Phillips,
one Harriet Beecher Stowe, one Julius Caesar, one Brutus, and one Toussaint L.
Overture, the race cannot expect more than one John L. Morrison.
John L.
Morrison was a friend and member of the N. A. A. C. P., attended all their
meetings when possible, heard all the prominent speakers, and commented
favorably in his paper on all of them, including Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, Dr. Roman
and Mr. Pickens.
“Night hangs upon his eyes
His bones would rest–
That have labored to attain
this hour
In general honest thought
For the common good to all
His life was good,
He was the noblest Roman
of them all.”
A law-abiding citizens had no cause to fear the
“Rip Saw” and its brave editor, but the paper was a hornet to the
wrong-doer.
John L. Morrison leaves a wife and two minor children, a girl 14
and a boy 13 years old, John L., Jr.
They should be remembered, and he will
not be forgotten.