Evansville race riot
1903 CE.
Shown on the map at 37.973°, -87.573°.
The Evansville Race Riot occurred in July 1903 in Evansville, Indiana and was the worst riot in the city's history. The riots occurred after a black man shot and killed a white policeman and ultimately resulted in 12 deaths. On July 3, a 33-year-old black man named John Tinsley, had a dispute with a black bartender, Tom Berry, over Tinsley's refusal to pay for a beer. Brown attempted to return to the bar with a gun but was stopped by Louis N. Massey, the most senior policeman on the force. Massey attempted to arrest Tinsley, but Tinsley shot and fatally wounded Massey. However, Massey was able to fire back before dying, wounding Tinsley, who eventually also succumbed to injuries on July 31. Tinsley was using the name "Lee Brown" and also known as "Robert Lee," but was recognized as a man who had previously served a sentence at the Indiana State Prison. He was imprisoned there from 1896 to 1901 on a conviction for assault with intent to kill. Armed with axes, guns, and a battering ram, a mob of 150 formed on the following day to lynch Tinsley, unaware that Sheriff Chris Kratz had already snuck him out to Vincennes. A larger mob threatened the jail again the next day.
Text from the Wikipedia article Evansville race riot, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.