Pardon Bid In 1920 Minnesota Assault Case Could Get Review

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota's Board of Pardons has approved a request that could lead to a posthumous pardon for a black man convicted of sexually assaulting a white Duluth woman in 1920.

Max Mason was among a group of black circus workers accused in the assault. Three were lynched by a mob. Two others went to trial and Mason was convicted.

His supporters believe he was falsely accused and say a pardon would restore justice in a "horrific and shameful episode in Minnesota history." The board's vote Monday could open the door for another review of Mason's original pardon request, which was denied in 1924.

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