The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-06-16
MOB OF 5000 HANG THREE =:
NEGROES FROM TELEPHONE .
:: /: POLLEN STREETS OF DULUTH
ATTACK ON SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD WHITE GIRL CAUSE
EXECUTION; TWO COMP OF STATE MILITIA
RUSHED TO DULUTH TO PATROL STREETS ~

the young woman is ill at her home
and in a very nervous condition, suf-
fering mostly from shock. James
Sullivan, her escort, stated to Tho
Herald that he was helpless and un-
able to give. any warning, and that,
following the assault, he and the
young woman were 50 frightened that
they Immediately left for home with
e9t giving the warning until this
m0rning. $780,. ,j:,.. .
J., The first negro lynched was take.
about two blocks from tho police
station to the corner Of First street
and Second avenue East, whSte .
rope was thrown over : telephone
pole. h-sl 2:l " = {; ~ :, ia
As the negro was yanked into liz
air, the. rope broke and he tumK1ea
to the ground. ,He was held uhtil
another was procured, and the exseu-
t,0a proceeded WITHOUT further inter
- ~s~ss' - ~
Eight policeman and . nev.paper
reporter suffered minor injuries in
the attack on the police station. They
were hit by bricks or other missek.
or were swept of their feet and ~
verely bumped in the water fight. Y
The negroes were roustabouts with
a circus that appeared here yesterday.
and the attack ON the 17-year-oh
white girl took place on the circus
grounds last night. The circus was
in Virginia today, and it was said
eight negroes ware taken into Gus
tody there, But only four held ~
One report was 4thst .ths,, Virginia
authorities and John Murphy, Du-
luth's chief Of police, had started
back to Duluth with these. four sus-
poets before the mob trouble broke
out here, but it was understood that
the party had been diverted to an
other city. ~,
The negroes hanged were Isaac
McGhie, Elmer Jackson and Nate
Green, all about % years old. They
were lynched in the order named at
1870 p. M, II :S8 p. M, and AS
p: M, respectively. All professed
their innocense.
After entrance had been forced
from the front, the police offered no
further resistance, realizing, they
said, that attempts to use firearms
would turn the disturbance into a
riot Of even more serious proper
tions, and probably cause extensive
life loss.
Within the police station the mob
faced two heavy steel doors, barring
the way to the prisoners cells. With
q large timber, the steel doors were
battered down after an. hours At
tack. It took only few minutes
to force open the cages and gain
possession Of the negro suspects.
:. On the second floor of the station
q mock trial was held. The three
negroes declared guilty were taken
from the building to Second avenue
East and First street, about half q
block from the police station. Nc
Chic was the first to feel the moose.
He cried for mercy, declaring he was
innocent. Two Catholic priests called
upon the crowd to slet the law take
its course, but their pleas went I'M
needed.
One priest, Father F. J. Howard,
climbed fifteen feet up an electric
light pole and again pleaded with the
mob to turn the negroes over to courts
IF law. He was met by boots and
cries of: Remember the girl
ynch him!'
Twice McGhie was jerked into the
air to the shouts of the mob, and
zach time the rope broke, dropping
him to the ground. "God be with
hem, I am not the right man," was
lis last cry, as on the third trial he
vent to his death.
A similar fate quickly was meted
o Jackson and Green, who likewise
their innocence and pleaded
or mercy. There was no demonstra-
ion after each body scared into the
lir, and no attempt was made to
nutilate the bodies in any way, it
vas said by onlookers.
Three negroes turned back to the
police are Louis Williams, sJohn
Thomas and Harry Richardson. It IS
the police will hold them
or the usual examination and dis
position. go
The order for troops was received
It Fort Smelling at II p. M, and by
.1:45 p. M, company I of Long
'rairie, commanded by Captain Will
,ur Miller, and company H, of Fair
,ault, under Captain w. P. Townsend
lad been loaded on auto trucks and
aiken to the St. Paul Union depot
where they boarded special train,