Ramsey County History – Summer 2002: “‘Hang Him! That’s the Best Way:’ A Lynching in St. Paul? Almost, in 1895, an Era of ‘Vigilante Justice’ in the Nation”

‘Hang Him! That’s the Best Way:’ A Lynching in St. Paul? Almost, in 1895, an Era of ‘Vigilante Justice’ in the Nation
Author: Paul D. Nelson

Twenty-five years before the infamous Duluth lynchings, itinerant African-American Houston Osborne narrowly escaped lynching in St. Paul. This piece describes the near-lynching, the events leading to it, the press coverage, African-American community reaction, what became of Osborne, and where this event fits in the national lynching phenomenon.
PDF of Nelson article