Lynching of Richard Dickerson

Dickerson was an African American man arrested for the fatal shooting of a white police officer, Charles B. Collis.

On Sunday, 6 March 1904, he had an altercation with a woman whom he called his wife, and he asked police sergeant Charles B. Collis to help him retrieve something from her.

[3][4] The next day, Monday, 7 March 1904, Collis died from his wounds, and the mob resolved to lynch Dickerson.

[3][5] At 9:00 pm on 7 March 1904, a mob came to the jail and demanded that Sheriff Routzahn turn over Dickerson.

The Sheriff thought the trouble had passed, but an even larger mob returned and broke through the south door of the jail.

They hung him from the telegraph pole and then the mob spent another hour shooting at his dead body.

[8][9] Governor Myron T. Herrick dispatched ten companies of Ohio National Guard troops to restore order to the town.

He stated, "I am unable to determine the direct cause of death..."[1] Albert Loback and George Hill were later arrested for leading the mob.

[13] In the summer of 1904, several Ohio National Guard officers faced court-martial for failing to act on their own initiative to mobilize their units in response to the rioting.

[14] Judge advocate Edward Vollrath, an attorney and regimental commander, prosecuted the case.