Three Negroes Lynched in Duluth Last Night.
Type of event: Lynchings
Location: St. Cloud; Stearns County; Minnesota; United States
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.)