Richard Dixon

Richard Dixon, a Black man, was held in the county jail in Springfield, Ohio. On the night of Monday, March 7, 1904, a crowd forced the jail's east doors with a railroad iron and overpowered the sheriff, turnkey and deputies. Newspaper accounts say the officers then gave him up, and the crowd took him into the jail yard and shot him. His body was hanged from a telegraph pole downtown and fired on for about half an hour. Black residents criticized Sheriff Routzahn for not using greater force to protect him, and some papers reported that the killing was followed by attacks on Black homes and neighborhoods and the call-out of state militia.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took Richard Dixon from the Springfield, Ohio jail and shot him, according to news accounts; a coroner's jury ruled gunshot wounds, with the coroner unable to determine the direct cause.

Reported by: Coroner Thomas and coroner's jury (medical examiner or coroner); news dispatch datelined Springfield, O. (reporters).

Sources (79)

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• The Times Dispatch, March 8, 1904, page 8 The Times Dispatch, March 8, 1904
• The St. Louis Republic, March 8, 1904, page 4 The St. Louis Republic, March 8, 1904
• The Daily Alaskan, March 8, 1904, page 4 The Daily Alaskan, March 8, 1904
• Bisbee Daily Review, March 8, 1904, page 1 Bisbee Daily Review, March 8, 1904
• The San Francisco Call, March 8, 1904, page 2 The San Francisco Call, March 8, 1904
• Waterbury Evening Democrat, March 8, 1904, page 3 Waterbury Evening Democrat, March 8, 1904
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• The Daily Palladium, March 8, 1904, page 2 The Daily Palladium, March 8, 1904
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• Evening Times-Republican, March 8, 1904, page 5 Evening Times-Republican, March 8, 1904
• Daily Kennebec Journal, March 8, 1904, page 2 Daily Kennebec Journal, March 8, 1904
• The Worcester Spy, March 8, 1904, page 2 The Worcester Spy, March 8, 1904
• The Minneapolis Journal, March 8, 1904, page 9 The Minneapolis Journal, March 8, 1904
• Omaha Daily Bee, March 8, 1904, page 1 Omaha Daily Bee, March 8, 1904
• Deseret Evening News, March 8, 1904, page 8 Deseret Evening News, March 8, 1904
• The Salt Lake Tribune, March 8, 1904, page 1 The Salt Lake Tribune, March 8, 1904
• The Salt Lake Herald, March 8, 1904, page 1 The Salt Lake Herald, March 8, 1904
• The Spokane Press, March 8, 1904, page 1 The Spokane Press, March 8, 1904
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