September 29, 1919: A mob in Omaha sets fire to the courthouse after trying to lynch Mayor Mayor Ed P. Smith when he appealed for law and order. Rioters finally lynch William Brown, an African American accused of raping a white woman. Federal troops were sent to restore order.
Oct. 1, 1919: An editorial in The Times draws a novel parallel between lynching and union activists. Then again, in 1938, The Times editorialized against a federal anti-lynching law.