Three Negroes Lynched in Duluth Last Night.

Type of event: Lynchings

Location: St. Cloud; Stearns County; Minnesota; United States

Document date:

Document type: Newspaper(s)

Documents: Three Negroes Lynched in Duluth Last Night.

Citation:

St. Cloud Daily Times, June 16, 1920, page 1, 8.
“Three Negroes Lynched in Duluth Last Night”

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Three Negroes Lynched in Duluth Last Night

Mob of 5,000 Sweeps Police Aside


Stirred by Deed of Brutes Thousands See
Red and Join Shriek Mob in Wreaking
Swift Diabolical Vengeance

Disgraceful Violence of the Mob Brings
Shame Upon the City and Deep Regret
is Profoundly Expressed by Citizens

(By Associated Press)

Duluth, Minn., June 16, – All ten Negroes arrested in Virginia, Minn., last night, and those “acquitted” by the mob last night just before it killed three of their companions for outraging a white girl here Monday night, are locked in St. Louis county jail this afternoon with a heavy guard of a tank company of home guards around the building prepared to foil any attempts to lynch them tonight.
Adjutant General Rhinow went out today with several truck loads of Minnesota National Guardsmen to a remote spot on Vermillion Road between Duluth and Virginia and there met two heavily armed automobile parties that had stayed there throughout last night and kept guard over the circus Negroes until General Rhinow arrived today.
Quietly as possible, the Negroes were brought to Duluth, and when once within the city limits a quick run was made for the county jail. The city is absolutely quiet, and the Negroes were jailed without a half dozen people knowing they had arrived.
The national guardsmen sent here with General Rhinow have their rifles stacked in front of a hotel on Superior street. The tank company on guard at the county jail is being reinforced by marine guards, the latter having been called out this afternoon. Five hundred home, marine and state guards will be under arms here tonight. No order has been issued up to 2 p.m., recalling the down state guards to Fort Snelling.
Duluth, June 16, – Immediate investigation of last night’s lynching and rioting to the end that the responsibility may be fixed against those who threw law and order to the winds, will be instituted by the county authorities at once.
Four judges of the district court this forenoon signed an order convening a special grand jury at the court house tomorrow morning at 11 o’clock to “inquire as to grave public offenses recently committeed in this county.”
Two of the judges, Judges W. A. Cant and Bert Fesler, witnessed the gathering of the mob last night in front of police headquarters, but neither saw the lynchings.
County Attorney Warren E. Greene state today that his office would do everything within its power to bring the offeneds who had incited the rioting and three lynchings to justice.
A report received here early today from Virginia was to the effect that ten Negroes were being rushed in automobiles to St. Paul, guarded by deputy sheriffs to be placed in the Ramsey county jail for protection. A score of automobiles carrying members of last night’s mob had been reported on the way to Virginia from Duluth in an effort to siege other Negroes employed by a circus, whom they believed might have participated in the attack on a white girl here.
Frank L. Magie, sheriff of St. Louis county, said today that the ten Negroes arrested at Virginia, in connection with the attack on a 17 year old white girl, would be in the St. Louis county jail today. “Chief of Police Murphy took four of the men from Virginia last night and left them in a secure place in the country. I took the six others to another place. All ten will be in the county jail here some time today,” Sheriff Magie said.

Duluth Calm Today.

Duluth, June 16,–Virtually normal conditions prevailed today on the Duluth business streets over which a mob of 5,000 persons surged last night, sweeping the police from power and seizing and lynching three Negroes held in connection with an attack on a 17 year old white girl.
When two companies of Minnesota National Guardsmen reached here at an early hour after a special train trip from St. Paul, they found only a damaged police sation and littered streets as visual evidence of the mob’s activity.
Under personal command of State Adjutant General W. F. Rhinow, the 124 men and six officers went into temporary camp, preparing to patrol the streets if necessary, to guard against any eventuality that might arise as an aftermath of the mob’s mad run. The men are equipped for riot duty. Captain W. P. Townsend commands Company H of Faribault, and Captain W. A. Miller heads company I of Long Prairie.
Available records today showed only one previous lynching in Minnesota but this had not been confirmed in officials sources. Twenty years ago, it was sated a white man was lynched in this county near Mountain Iron for attacking a girl.
For at least two hours, the mob ruled only relinquishing its power after the Negroes had been lynched.
Six Negroes had been arrested by the police in connection with the attack on the girl, which took place at a circus ground Monday night. The Negroes were attached to the circus as roustabouts. The mob held a work trial, declaring three of the Negroes guilty and acquitted the other three who today still were in the hands of the police.
The three “covicted” Negroes were hanged within a block and a half of the police station, the mob hooting down pleas of two priests that the law be permitted to take its course. It took

(Continued on page eight.)