As Robert Wells, author of This Is Milwaukee, explains it, on the night of Sept. 6, 1861, atthe corner of Milwaukee and Michigan streets, two African-American men,Marshall Clark and James Shelton, were allegedly involved in an altercationwith two Irishmen, Darbey Carney and John Brady. The argument escalated andCarney was left dying on the ground from a stab wound. Brady’s shoulder wasslashed and a lamplighter, at the wrong place at the wrong time, was cutsupposedly when Clark and Sheltonfled the scene. Before Carney died, he pinned Shelton as the one who stabbed him.
Clark and Sheltonwere quickly apprehended and sent to the city’s jail, now the site of Cathedral Square. Amob of 200 to 300 people, mostly Irish immigrants from the Third Ward, amassedat the jailhouse. They knocked down Police Chief William Beck, threw two policeofficers in the gutter, pulled a revolver on the jailer and ordered him to openup. He refused, so the gang procured an 18-foot-long piece of timber from anearby construction site and, wielding it as a battering ram, broke the jail’slock and gained entrance. The mob couldn’t find Shelton because he was hiding in an emptycell, so they grabbed the next best thing, Marshall Clark. While the mob wasbeating his companion senseless, Sheltonsneaked out the back door and ran.
Clark was draggeddown Jackson Streetto Detroit Street(now East St. Paul Avenue),where a “trial” was held at the fire department’s Engine House No. 6. Theyfound him guilty of being a black man involved in the death of a white man andsentenced him to hanging. Sheriff Charles Larkin arrived and ordered the crowdto hand over their prisoner. Grossly outnumbered and threatened with his ownhanging, the sheriff couldn’t stop them from hauling their victim to Buffalo Street,near the corner of Water Street(just feet away from the current offices of the Shepherd Express, coincidentally). The Irish mob fastened a rope toa pile driver that was used to sink supporting timbers and lynched Clark.
James Shelton, the man accused of killing Carney,was recaptured and tried. During the trial, two military companies were postedat the courthouse to prevent another riot. The jury found Shelton not guilty. For those who thought Shelton was guilty, the verdict appeared to be based onthe premise that Clark had already paid forthe offense and executing another person would be unjust. After the trial, Shelton was quickly smuggled out of Milwaukee before another mob could beorganized. Police Chief Beck was held accountable for the debacle and resignedtwo months later.
