Sweet, Ossian, 1895-1960

Dr. Ossian Sweet, an African American physician, gained world attention in 1925 when his family moved into a house at 2905 Garland St., in an all-white neighborhood on Detroit's east side. One day after his move, on the evening of Sept. 9, an angry, white, rock-throwing mob gathered in front of Dr. Sweet's home, shots were fired from the Sweet home, and a white man was killed. Dr. Sweet, his family and friends, were charged with premeditated murder in "The People vs. Ossian Sweet, et al." The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hired Clarence Darrow to defend Dr. Sweet. Darrow's fame and the attention he brought to the case resulted in outpouring of donations to the NAACP, and led to the creation of its Legal Defense Fund. Darrow's defense team included Arthur G. Hays, of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Detroit lawyers Walter M. Nelson, Cecil Rowlette, Julian Perry, and Thomas Chawke. The case was argued before Judge Frank Murphy, later mayor of Detroit, governor of Michigan and U.S. Supreme Court justice. Two trials were held; in the first, which began on Oct. 30, 1925, the case was dismissed after the jury could not agree on a verdict. The second trial began in April 1926 and resulted in a jury verdict of not guilty, affirming the right of all men, regardless of race, to defend their homes. Judge Murphy dismissed all charges in July 1927. Sweet returned to the house on Garland, but within two years his wife and daughter died of tuberculosis. On March 19, 1960 Dr. Sweet ended his own life.

From the description of Ossian H. Sweet papers, 1925-1987 (bulk 1925-1926). (Detroit Public Library). WorldCat record id: 52100618