Ohio's Anti-Lynching Law, 1896
Section 1. Any collection of individuals, assembled for any unlawful purpose, intending to do damage or injury to anyone or pretending to exercise correctional power over other persons by violence, and without authority of law, shall for the purpose of this act be regarded as a "mob," and any act of violence exercised by them upon the body of any person shall constitute a "lynching."
Section 2. The term "serious injury," for the purposes of this act, shall include any such injury as shall permanently or temporarily disable the person receiving it from earning a livelihood by manual labor.
Section 3. Any person who shall be taken from the hands of the officers of justice in any county by a mob, and shall be assaulted by the same with whips, clubs, missiles, or in any other manner, shall be entitled to recover from the county in which such assault shall be made the sum of one thousand dollars as damages, by action as hereinafter provided.
Section 4. Any person assaulted by a mob and suffering lynching at their hands, shall be entitled to recover of the county in which such assault is made the sum of five hundred dollars; or if the injury received is serious the sum of one thousand dollars; or if it result in permanent disability to earn a livelihood by manual labor, the sum of five thousand dollars.
Section 5. The legal representative of any person suffering death by lynching at the hands of a mob, in any county of this State, shall be entitled to recover of the county in which such lynching may occur the sum of five thousand dollars damages for such unlawful killing. Said recovery shall be applied first to the maintenance of the family and education of the minor children of the person so lynched, if any be left surviving him, until such minor children shall become of legal age, and then be distributed to the survivors, share and share alike, the widow receiving a child's share. If there be no wife or minor children left surviving such decedent, the said recovery shall be distributed among the next of kin according to the laws for the distribution of the personalty of an intestate. Such recovery shall not be regarded as a part of the estate of the person lynched, nor be subject to any of his liabilities. Any person suffering death or injury at the hands of a mob engaged in an attempt to lynch another person, shall be deemed within the provisions of this act, and he or his legal representatives shall have the same right of action thereunder as one purposely injured or killed by such mob.
Section 2. The term "serious injury," for the purposes of this act, shall include any such injury as shall permanently or temporarily disable the person receiving it from earning a livelihood by manual labor.
Section 3. Any person who shall be taken from the hands of the officers of justice in any county by a mob, and shall be assaulted by the same with whips, clubs, missiles, or in any other manner, shall be entitled to recover from the county in which such assault shall be made the sum of one thousand dollars as damages, by action as hereinafter provided.
Section 4. Any person assaulted by a mob and suffering lynching at their hands, shall be entitled to recover of the county in which such assault is made the sum of five hundred dollars; or if the injury received is serious the sum of one thousand dollars; or if it result in permanent disability to earn a livelihood by manual labor, the sum of five thousand dollars.
Section 5. The legal representative of any person suffering death by lynching at the hands of a mob, in any county of this State, shall be entitled to recover of the county in which such lynching may occur the sum of five thousand dollars damages for such unlawful killing. Said recovery shall be applied first to the maintenance of the family and education of the minor children of the person so lynched, if any be left surviving him, until such minor children shall become of legal age, and then be distributed to the survivors, share and share alike, the widow receiving a child's share. If there be no wife or minor children left surviving such decedent, the said recovery shall be distributed among the next of kin according to the laws for the distribution of the personalty of an intestate. Such recovery shall not be regarded as a part of the estate of the person lynched, nor be subject to any of his liabilities. Any person suffering death or injury at the hands of a mob engaged in an attempt to lynch another person, shall be deemed within the provisions of this act, and he or his legal representatives shall have the same right of action thereunder as one purposely injured or killed by such mob.