Duluth's Deep Regret Over Horrible Crime Expressed by Citizens.
Type of event: Lynchings
Location: St. Cloud; Stearns County; Minnesota; United States
Document date:
Document type: Newspaper(s)
Documents: Duluth's Deep Regret Over Horrible Crime Expressed by Citizens.
Citation:
St. Cloud Daily Times, June 16, 1920, page 1.
“Duluth’s Deep Regret Over Horrible Crime Expressed by Citizens”
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Duluth’s Deep Regret Over Horrible Crime Expressed by Citizens
(By Associated Press)
Duluth, June 16,–Deep regret that such a crime could have been
committed within Duluth and severe criticism of the manner in which the
situation was handled characterized comment of clergymen, leading business men
and lawyers relative to last night’s hanging of three Negroes suspected of
having assaulted a young white girl in West Duluth. However few gave their
names to public print.
Clergymen were among the most fearless in this
regard. The statement of Dr. O. W. Rian, prominent priest
follows:
“We are all humiliated by the disgraceful violence of the mob
last night. We sympathize profoundly with the girl in the case, with her
unfortunate escort and with her parents. But there is no excuse for the utter
anarchism of such blind violence. No one can be sure the victims were the
guilty ones. We feel that our police failed lamentably in thir duty. It is not
good policy for the guardians of the law to be unduly officious, but here was
plenty of warning; here was the dignity of the law to be upheld; here was
opportunity to quell any unrestrained spirit which might break forth any time
and certainly has wide opening now to do so, since they need not fear any
immediate consequence. Further, there would be no doubt but that justice would
be meted out by our judges and prosecuting attorneys.
“All honor to
the Roman Catholic priests who tried boldly to face and overcome the
mob.
“We brought the Negroes to this country we have shamefully
neglected their education and religious training; there are a host of most
respectable men and women among them. How little does such an act as this tend
to smooth out racial antagonism and race friction.”
STRONG WORDS
FROM PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER.
Duluth, June 16,–Rev. Geo Brewer,
pastor of the First Presbyterian church, made the following
comment:
“I am appalled at the situation Duluth finds herself in
today–humiliated among the law-abiding, order-loving citizens of our land.
No defense can be made for the work of this mob. Every brute in human form who
criminally outrages a woman deserves the extreme penalty of the law, but never
administered by a lawless mob. Every member of the mob that does violence to
any human life is a murderer and I hope will be speedily brought to
justice.
“No more deadly blow to virtue and civilization could have
been struck than by those misguided citizens who took the law in their own
hands. I look upon this tragedy as a call to all sober minded men and women who
have the best thing of our common wealth at heart to redouble their efforts to
rescue our people from the drift of the times, away from character-making forces
and moral restraint–a drift that is leaving many of our fellow citizens as
indifferent to God’s law and moral standards as the men they lynch, even
if guilty of the alleged crime.”
POLICE FORCE WAS TOTALLY
INDEQUATE.
Duluth, June 16,–The police force of Duluth was
totally inadequate to handle a situation like that which developed last night,
was the assertion of Commissioner of Safety W. F. Murnian today, regarding the
lynching last night. Every effort was made to control the mob, but it was so
large that the police as well as the sheriff’s forces were handicapped
from the start. Strict orders from Mr. Murnian that under no provocation were
the police to use fire arms, doubtless prevented much bloodshed, although many
of the police were injured by flying stones. None of them were handled by the
mob except Lt. E. H. Barber, who strove to the last to prevent the mob from
reaching the prisoners.
JUDGES AND PRIESTS APPEALED IN VAIN TO
MOB
Duluth, June 16,–Efforts of Judges of the District court, two
priests and other well known Duluth citizens to stem the fury of the crowd bent
on the lynching of the Negroes suspected as assaulting a frail white girl Monday
night, proved fruitless. The mob pushed the speakers aside and hooted them down
with cries of “lynch the black snakes.”
District Judge W. A.
Cant made an appeal to the mob at police headquarters. He appealed to the
fairmindedness of the citizens to observe the law and order.
Judge Bert
Fesler asked several reputable citizens who were in the crowd to assist, and
some responded, but most of them would do nothing Judge Fesler said.
Rev.
Powers of Sacred Heart Cathedral, met the mob as it brought the Negroes from the
jail. He climbed a telegraph pole to talk.
“The crime committed is
most horrible,” said the priest, “but, men, you do not know that
these Negroes are the guilty men. I appeal to you to allow the law to take its
course. In the name of God and the church I represent I ask you to
stop.”
He was howled down.