1915 Election Mob Duty

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Description:

Photograph of a group of South Carolina Militia gathered on George Street in front of the building addressed at 328 King Street. The photographer set his camera up in the middle of George Street facing west toward King to capture the scene of various militia officers and Charleston Police officers conferring with one another. Two advertisements for Sloan's Liniment and Hummel's Menthol Cough Drops are painted on the brick wall in the background. The letter "V" is located in the left bottom corner, presumably put there by the photographer as an identifier.

After a hotly contested mayoral election on October 12, ballots were sealed in a room on the corner of King and George, awaiting a recount. During a meeting of the Democratic Executive Committee on October 15, supporters of both incumbent John P. Grace and challenger Tristram T. Hyde, forced their way into the meeting causing a riot to break out which resulted in the accidental death of Sidney Cohen, who was shot through the lung. In the aftermath, Governor Richard Manning, sent the South Carolina Militia to Charleston to guard against further violence.