On this Date, Dec 11, in History

1917 13 black soldiers hanged for alleged participation in Houston riot

This is what I found on Wikipedia on Google, copied and pasted:

Precipitating causesAround noon August 23, 1917, two Houston police officers stormed into the home of an African American woman, allegedly looking for someone in the neighborhood, after firing a warning shot outside. They physically assaulted her, then dragged her partially clad into the street, all in view of her five small children. The woman began screaming, demanding to know why she was being arrested, and a crowd began to gather. A soldier from the 24th Infantry stepped forward to ask what was going on. The police officers promptly beat him to the ground and arrested him as well. Their official reports and later news reports stated the soldier was charged with interfering with the arrest of a publicly drunk female.[2] Later that afternoon, Corporal Charles Baltimore went to the Houston police station to investigate the arrest, as well as beating of another black soldier, and also to attempt to gain the release of the soldier. An argument began which led to violence, and Corporal Baltimore was beaten, shot at, and himself arrested by the police.[3]




[edit] The riotThe Camp Logan riot began the evening of August 23, when 156 angry soldiers ignored their officers' orders, stole weapons from the camp depot and marched on the city of Houston. They were met outside the city by the police and a crowd of armed citizens, frightened by the reports of a mutiny. A virtual race riot began, which left 20 people dead - four soldiers, four policemen, and 12 civilians. Order was restored the next day, and the War Department disarmed the soldiers. The Third Battalion was sent by rail back to New Mexico.[3]


Born: 1944 Brenda Lee [Brenda Mae Tarpley] Lithonia GA, country singer. Why would Brenda Mae Tarpley change her name to Brenda Lee?  Did she think it sounded too country?

Killed:
1964 Sam Cooke US, singer (You Send Me, Sad Moon), slain at a motel at 33