Cincinnati Riots of 1884 / Sheriff Morton Lytle Hawkins #19-31
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 39° 06.419 W 084° 30.554
16S E 715368 N 4331602
Historical marker giving a brief history of the Cincinnati Riots of 1884 which are also known as the Cincinnati Vigilante Riots as opposed to the later riot 2001 Cincinnati Race Riot.
Waymark Code: WM43ZK
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2008
Views: 54
Cincinnati Riots of 1884
In March 1884, public confidence of Cincinnati law enforcement was extremely
low. The public believed that murderers and other serious offenders were not
brought to justice promptly or received little punishment. Civil unrest was
brought to a boil when a seventeen-year-old was sentenced to only twenty years
for manslaughter after brutally murdering his employer. On March 28, thousands
of citizens stormed the county jail and courthouse. The riots lasted three days
requiring forces from the Sheriff's Office, city police, and local and state
militia to restore order. Fifty-four people were killed and more than 200
wounded. The courthouse and jail suffered enormous damage, and valuable records
were destroyed from the assault and fire. The riot gained international
notoriety and helped pave the way for removal of political favoritism and a
larger police force.
Sheriff Morton Lytle Hawkins
On March 28-30, 1884, the Courthouse Riots of 1884 raged in the streets of
Cincinnati resulting in death and injury to more than 250 Cincinnatians. A small
group of Hamilton County Deputies, led by Sheriff Morton Lytle Hawkins, saved
the jail from a complete takeover and successfully protected the lives of all
the inmates. Sheriff Hawkins' planning and foresight was largely responsible for
this success. Sheriff Hawkins also called upon the Ohio National Guard to help
quell the Riots and assisted in deploying the troops. Sheriff Hawkins earned the
respect of the citizens for his calm and skillful demeanor throughout the Riots.
He also served his state as Ohio Adjutant General and the nation as a volunteer
in the Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. He was also a noted newspaperman
throughout Ohio.