Today in Labor History December 11, 1917: Thirteen black soldiers were hanged for alleged participation in the Houston Mutiny. The cause of the mutiny, according to The Crisis Magazine, was the habitual brutality of white police officers toward black residents. The mutiny started on August 23, 1917, when a cop dragged an African American woman from her home and arrested her for drunkenness. A black soldier asked what was going on and was beaten and arrested, too. When Cpl. Charles Baltimore, an MP, found out, he went to the police station to investigate. He was beaten, too, then shot at as they chased him away. Rumors reached the military base that the cops had killed Baltimore and that a white mob was approaching. So, soldiers armed themselves and marched into town. A riot ensued in which 16 whites died, including 5 cops. 4 black soldiers also died. The army held three courts-martial in the wake of the mutiny. They found 110 African American soldiers guilty. 19 were executed in total, 13 on December 11. 63 more received life sentences in federal prison. No white civilians were brought to trial.

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