1915 Election Mob Scene

Copyright: Contact The Charleston Museum Archives for publication quality images and credit instructions.

Description:

Photograph of a mob occupying most of the street in front of the portion of the Great A & P Tea Company (then addressed at 325 King, now a Pottery Barn at 321 King) building that was located on a section of George Street. The majority of the crowd has congregated outside of the building addressed at 39 George, surrounding an automobile in the process. The photographer set his camera up at an elevated height on King (at the corner of George) to capture the scene after the shooting that had just occurred killing Sidney Cohen, a reporter for the News & Courier.

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.