The Cincinnati Courthouse Riot

Corruption and murder in the Gilded Age.

A spate of bloody killings and a devastating flood set off a firestorm that Cincinnati would never forget. In 1884, three nights of rioting left dozens dead, a courthouse burned to the ground, and the way clear for a new political regime to sweep in. When jury tampering led to a murderer getting the milder verdict of manslaughter, throngs more than 10,000 citizens took to the streets to deliver their own justice. In this sweeping account of some of Cincinnati’s bloodiest days, historian Steven J. Rolfes examines the political, social, and economical milieu of a city swept by tides of change.