About: Lynching of William Burns

William Burns was a 22-year-old African-American man who was lynched on October 6, 1907, in Cumberland, Maryland for the alleged murder of white Cumberland police officer August Baker. Several newspapers at the time account that Officer Baker attempted to arrest Burns, and that Burns allegedly resisted and shot Baker in a scuffle. Burns was then arrested and taken to the Cumberland Jail. Several days later, Baker died in hospital and a mob of men with their coats turned inside out and handkerchiefs over their faces gathered outside the jail at 12:40am. The mob tore down a telegraph pole and used it to batter down the doors to the jail. One account reports that Burns was dragged out of his cell after the deputy on duty handed over the keys to the cell at gunpoint. Burns was taken outside "p