Townshend Cook
MSA SC 3520-13732
Lynched in Westminster, June 2, 1885
Biography:
Townshend Cook was lynched June 2, 1885 for the assault and rape of Mrs. Carrie V. Knott of Mt. Airey, Carroll County. The 20 year old African American was raised inthe neighborhood of Mt. Airey and was well known in the area. Mrs. Knott reported to the Sun tht at 4 o'clock on that Saturday afternoon Cook entered her kitchen asking for food. She gave him bread and a tin cup. She told him to get water from the spring. He then struck her with a club on her head and choked her. He told her if she hollared he would kill her. She fell unconscious. When she awoke she found he had raped her. He again warned her not to tell or he would kill her. He then asked for directions to the railroad and walked out her back door. She immediately went to the house of a Mr. Pinkney and told of the assault. Mrs. Knott gave the police a description of Townshend Cook. Cook was apprehend at his mother's home on Justice George A. Davis' farm. Mrs. Knott identified Knott again by a small wart on the lid of Cook's right eye. Cook was transported very quietly to the Westminster jail. There were only a few small threats of lynching. The Sun paper reported on June 1, 1885 that the jail was of a strong build and that it would not be easy for a mob to get at a prisoner.
At one o'clock in the morning June 2, 1885 thirty masked men broke through the front jail door. They over powered and bound the sheriff. They broke the cell doors with crowbar and placed a rope around Cook's neck. Placing Cook in a open wagon the men rode off in the direction of Mt Airey. Several men stayed behind to guard the Sheriff. When the wagon was out of sight the men rode away also. Cook's body was found a mile down the Mt. Airey road. He was stripped down to his trousers and hung from a tree. There was also two bullet holes in the back of Cook's neck. Blood dripped down his body from the wounds. The lynchers left a note on a piece of paper with the letter head, "Law Office of Milton G. Urner, Frederick Md.". The note claimed Cook confessed to the crime of assaulting Mrs. Knott. Cook had denied all knowledge of the crime when he was apprehended by police before being jail in Westminster.
Witnesses who claim to have seen the lynchers passing by said several of the men were black. However, this claim is not certain. The Sheriff did fear a possible uprising Friday and Saturday, but when the community remained peaceful he saw no cause to be alarmed Saturday night. Charles B. Roberts; attorney-general spoke with several of the lynchers along the road:
"'Oh, yes! we know you Mr. Roberts', they answered, 'and we voted for you, but that is another matter, and we do not need any protection.' 'Yes you do. Before tomorrow's sun will set you will regret this. For heaven's sake, gentlemen consider your action. You know as well as I do that if you take that negro and kill him you are committing murder.' 'That is all very well', one of them spoke up, 'we have our wives and daughters to protect.'The men let Roberts pass, but regardless to his pleading they continued with their deed. Several officers followed the lynchers trail. That is how the body of Cook was located. Several news paper articles condemned the lynching of Townshend Cook. Papers such as The Sun and The Democratic Advocate called the lynching a murder and an injustice. They called for citizens to let the courts do their job instead of taking the law into thier own hands. However, there was no official report found speaking on the reaction of the state of Maryland or county of Carroll. Neither officially condemned or apologized for the lynching. There was also no reported investigation inot who was responsible for the lynching.
Link to Lynching Profile Questionnaire
|
|| Search the Archives || Education & Outreach || Archives of Maryland Online ] Governor General Assembly Judiciary Maryland.Gov
|