Mrs. W.T. Francis, Author of Anti-Lynching Bill.
Type of event: Afterwards
Location: Minnesota; United States
Document date:
Document type: Newspaper(s)
Citation:
Northwestern Bulletin, May 12, 1923, page 1, 4.
“Mrs. W.T. Francis, Author of Anti-Lynching Bill”
Image text
Mrs. W. T. Francis Author of
Anti-
Lynching Bill
Author of the Minnesota
Anti-
Lynching Bill.
Mrs. W. T. Francis, wife of Attorney W. T. Francis, one of our most
prominent club women and civic workers of the city, has the distinct honor of
being the “Mother” of the Minnesota Lynching Bill.
This bill was
framed and put into legal in February, 1921, by Attorney Francis, then it was
introduced by Representatives Nordlin, Levine and Christensen in the House at
the State Capitol on the 15th of April, 1921. These same gentlemen
were present at one of the largest mass meetings ever held in St. James Church,
and announced they would do the utmost in their power to aid in the passage of
the bill, which is as follows:
An act to prevent lynching; to fix indemnity
for the dependents of any person lynched, and to provide for the removal from
office of the sheriff and dputy sheriffs having charge on any person
lynched.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of State of Minnesota:
Section
I. Lynching defined.–Lynching is the killing of a human being, by the act
of procurement of a mob.
Section II. Damage may be recovered.–Whenever
any person shall be lynched, the county in which said
MRS. W. T. FRANCIS
lynching occurred, shall be liable in damages to the dependents of the person
lynched, in a sum not exceeding seven thousand and five hundred dollars, to be
recovered in a civil action.
Section III. Officers guilty of malfeasance in
certain cases.–Any Sheriff,
(Continued on Page 4)
MRS. W. T. FRANCIS
Deputy Sheriff or other officer having the custody of any person whom it is
sought by a mob to take from his custody who shall fall or neglect to use all
lawful means to resist such taking, shall be deemed guilty of malfeasance and
shall be removed from office by the Governor in the manner and upon the same
procedure as is provided by law for the removal from office of County Officers
guilty of malfeasance or non-feasance in the performance of their official
duties.
Section IV. This act shall take effect and be in force from and
after its passage.
Approved April 20, 1921.
On the 20th of
April the bill was passed by unanimous vote in the Senate, whereby Minnesota was
one of the foremost states in the Union to denounce that National horror known
as lynching.
From the time the bill was introduced in February unil its
passage on the 19th of April, Mrs. Francis labored incessantly both
night and day so that her efforts would not be vain, as she knows no failure in
any undertaking, be it great or small.
As a fitting tribute to her whose
achievement will go down in history for its remarkable record, the citizens of
St. Paul tendered her a public testimonial on the 1st day of May,
1921, and presented her with a large silver loving cup as a token for her
services.
The terrible blot of civilization known as lynching will never mar
the state of Minnesota and our children’s children in generations to come
can point with pride to this noble woman of our own race who did so much to
remove this stain of civilization.