Howard Cooper
Howard Cooper, a Black man, was held in the jail at Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland. In July 1885, about forty masked men took him from the jail in the early hours and hanged him from a tree nearby, according to accounts published in the days that followed. One report says neighbors approved of the action, and the Wilmington Daily Republican condemned the lynching, arguing the matter should have been left to state officers. One account says his body was later buried at Bare Hill.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A newspaper report says about 40 masked men took him from the Towson jail and hanged him from a tree, and the Wilmington Daily Republican editorial condemns the lynching.
Reported by: Newspaper report of the Towson lynching (reporters); Wilmington Daily Republican editorial (reporters).