On a June night of 1920, hundreds of angry men and thousands of curious onlookers surrounded the downtown headquarters of the Duluth police department. The crowd might have reached 10,000. They wanted the handful of police officers inside to turn over their prisoners - a group of young, black circus workers. The police had arrested the men earlier that day. They accused some of the out-of-towners of raping a young, white woman at the circus grounds. Later investigations cast serious doubt on the rape charges, but the howling mob outside the police station had no doubts.

~from the Minnesota Public Radio News

On June 14, the John Robinson Circus came to Duluth, bringing with them Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie as hired cooks and laborers.

(photo courtesy of America Hurrah)

Headline in The Duluth Herald, June 15, 1920. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society)

In the early morning of June 15, six black men are accused of raping Irene Tusken and thrown into jail. News quickly spreads and chaos erupts in the local streets.

Louis Dondino drives down Superior Street encouraging the lynching. With them is a 30 foot rope.

The crowd gets out of control and easily pulls out the six men from their cells. The men are given a mock trial and Clayton, Jackson, and McGhie are found guilty.

The mob drags the three men, one block to the corner of a light pole and there they are beaten and then lynched.

The next morning the Minnesota National Guard arrives to protect the city and the remaining men in jail.

When the city becomes calm again, the black residents of Duluth kept safely inside their homes because of fear. Soon, many leave the city to get away from the horrific event.