The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-06-18
NEGROES ARE LyNCHED
DULUTH SCENE OF HANG
1885,. ING; MOB TRIAL
Troops Rushed North, But Ar
rive Too Late To Prevent
Necktie Party
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.1

| ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.1
Duluth. Mimi. June 16.-Virtually
normal conditions prevailed today on
the. Duluth business streets over
which a mob of 5000 persons gath
cred last night, sweeping the police
! from power and Selling and lynching
three negroes, held in connection
with an attack on a seventeen year
old white girl.
When two companies OF Mime
sofa national guardsmen reached
here at an early hour after special
train trip from st. Paul they found
: only damaged police station and
Uttered streets as visual evidence of
the mob's activity.
Rhinow In Command.
! Under personal command of State
AdJutant General w. r. Rhinow. the
| 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 Com
pany | of Long Prairie. .....
+ Available records today showed
| I'll PlCStOuo ~ hCulhS Ill
sofa, but this had not been confirmed
in official sources. Twenty years
ago, it was said, white man was
lynched in this county near Mountain
| Iron for attacking a gnl.
For at least two hours, the mob
ruled, only relinqrishing its power
after the negroes had beens lynched.
Negroes With Circus.
Six negroes had been arrested by
I hn in to-1 ,.if1
, tack 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
mock trial, declared three of the
negroes guilty and acquitted the
other three who, today still were in
hands of the police.
The three convicted" negroes
hanged within blocA and 9 half Of
downs pleas of rwo priests mat lf8
| law be permitted to take its course.
! 1t took three starts to hang the first
negro, as the rope broke the first
| two times.
Bodies Cut Down.
After the mob had dispersed early
today. the police cut down the bodies
Of the negroes, which had not been
mutilated The authorities did not
CApSSt LII luCl lIouuiC lOud :,
and expressed themselves doubtly sure
of this i'll view of the presence of the
! guardsmen.
The injuries suffered by the eight
policemen and a newspaper man in
the brickbat and fire nose attack on
the police station were said to be
trivial today.
An investigation of the action of
the mob will be made. i; was under
fnI lint inc Ia
investigation will take. haG not been
made known when tie guardsmen
reached here.
Rush Negroes 10 Safety.
A report recei here early today
from Virginia was 10 the effect that
ten negroes were being rushed in au-
tomobiles to st. Paul, guarded by
deputy sheriffs, to be placed in the
Ramsey county Jail for protection. A
bers of last nights mob had been
reported on the way to Virginia from
Duluth in an effort to seize other ne
groes employed by circus, whom
they believed might have participated
in the attack on white girl here.
Starts Thorough Probe.
A promise of prosecution of last
nights lynchers to the full extent OF
the law was made today by Warren
E SCut, COuuIy v.
ut is a terrible thing to have hap
pened," he said AN investigation
will be started today and steps taken
to bring all offenders to justice"
Police here this forenoon were un-
able to state definitely whether the
ten negroes taken from the circus at
Virginia were being taken to st. Paul
in automobiles or in a chartered train
The best information they had was
that a train had been cOmmandered
and the negroes are aboard that, and
that. the train has right of way to st.
Paul. 4
Several auto loads of Duluth lynch
|ers en- route to Virginia last night
were not confirmed this morning. 1t
is said the roads to the range are bad
and that the cars, if they started,
probably did not get far.
The lynchipcs took place under the
windows of the Shrine auditorium on
First street, Duluth Shriners were in
the building preparing to leave for
Portland, Oregon and witnessed the
lynching bee.
"To He'll With Law"
Catholic Priest w. ]. Powers made
a plea for the lives of the negroes.
Rev Powers climbed the pole already
selected by the mob and asked for
law and was met by. ITO hell with the
law" An automobile load of young
sters. said to be from the West End,
where the girl lived. and also ..aid to
where the girl lived, started the
lynching by riding rapidly up
and down Superior street ana
asking for volunteers. Some men
on the sidewalks laughed and told
them to "go SOUTH" but others start
cd toward the city JAIL Presently
5000 people had gathered there.
Theatres emptied themselves hurried
ly and their crowds joined in. A
twenty years old boy jumped on an
auto and made an impassioned speech.
and a four hour battle with police
ensued Firemen came and turned a
hose on the mob. Some one cut the
hose No shot was fired by the police.
Today the city is calm. Men are
standing in owns discussing the
tragic nights work.
taII Grand jury.
Immediate Investigation of last
night lynci:ing and riotirg to the