Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-09-13
HIGH HANDED OUTRAGE
The Negro Clark taken From tie Jail And
lung.
from the Milwaukee Sentinel. ]

Sheldon were arrested Saturday morning
and confined in the county jail. On Sat
urday night about eleven O'Clock, mob
of men left the Third Ward and proceeded
to the Jail with the intention of taking the
negroes therefrom and inficting summary
punishment.
The first intimation that Mr. Kendriek,
the jailor, had of the approach of the mob
was from Beck, Chief Of Police, who came
into the passage way Of the prison. and
looking through the wicket, said-''They
are coming up 10 take the niggers. Fas-
ten your doors and get your men ready"
Mr. Kendrick was armed with revolver,
and after hastily calling his assistants.
he asked Beck if he should shoot the men
through the wicket who came into the pas
sage. Mr.. Beck made reply that no one
was coming into the passage. except over
his body, and then went to the front door
In the meantime, the negroes Clark and
Sheldon were taken from the small cells in
which they were confined, and locked in
the large room at the extreme end of the
lower passage--a precautionary measure,
to prevent the escape of other prisoners,
should the mob effect ali entrance. Mr..
Giles, Assistant, then put the key of the
room in his pocket.
Shortly after, the mob appeared in front
of the house. Beck, who attempted to
reason with them, was struck with a stone
on the side Of the head and knocked down.
and the ringleaders entered the passage,
one of them pushing pistol through the
wicket and pointing it at Kendrick on the
other side Of the heavy door, demanded the
key. The demand not being complied
with, bricks and stones were hurled against
the windows and against the door, but
failed to make any impression on the lat
ter; the crowd then retired for few mo-
ments and returned With heavy oak tim
Der three inches thick, which was used in
the passage as a battering RAM With
this the door was forced in and the crowd
effected an entrance. Giles, who had the
key, was severely handled, being knocked
down and the key taken from him. They
then ransacked the Jail, even entering the
family apartments of Mr.. kendrick, up
stairs, and opening the door leading to the
jail yard.
They finally found the negro Clark in
the large room, and he was instantly drag
ged out into epassage, with cries We've
got him )" We've got the =" No at
tentiOn seemed to be paid to the remaining
negro, who in the first whirl of excitement
came out along the passage and escaped
into the back yard, through the door
which had been left open. The moment
the victim was seized, his punishment com
menced-his first foCtstep from the room
into the passage was marked with blood
They hurled him into the street, where he
was caught up by the ravenous crowd out
side, and with blows and all sorts Of dem
onstrations, hurrisd away from the protect
ing CD clutches of the law.
The night was dark, and there seemed
to be some doubts in the minds of the mob
as to whether they had the right man -
Matches were lit and held in his face, Ga
face already swollen and disfgured, } and
at every attempt to identify him, fresh
yell of triumph arose from the crowd.
They questioned him, but he was sullcn
and terrified into logged taqiturnity, and
gave his name as George Marshall, say
ing that be had been arrested for stealing.
The crowd proceeded to the Engine
House of No. Six, and the prisoner was
conducted inside, whore he remained about
an hour, the mob apparently undecided
how to dispose Of him. We are informed
by an eye witness that Sheriff Larkin was
present but declined to enter the engine
house, and confined his efforts entirely to
gentlemanly remonstrance with the
boys One of the ringleaders had provi-
ded himself with a ropc-a common clothes
line-whlch he carried under his coat and
exhibited once or twice on the passage
from the jail to the engine house. This
rope was tied about the negro's neck and
he was led forth by it and taken down East
Water street, the crowd continuing to
heap blow after blow upon his bel pless
body.
At one place man darted out from a
doorway, as the crowd passed, and struck
Clark twice across the face with heavy
club and then ran ; the blows felled him to
the earth. and he was dragged by the rope
over the cobble stones to the corner Of
Buffalo Street, where stands pile driving
machine. Across the frame work of this
gallows the rope was thrown and the
wretch was jerked into the air The same
degree of misfortune seemed to attend him
even in this extremity, for the cord slipped
out over his chin and into his mouth, re-
moving his death several degrees of agony
further off, much to the apparent satisfac
tion of the rufhans who surrounded him.
The body hung an hour, when it was
cut down and taken to the police sta.
ton, where it laid all day yesterday, a
CHASTITY sight for hundreds of citizens to
feast morbid curiosity upon.
Sunday morning, when the facts became
known, there was general excitement -
Crowds assembled about tie jail and sta.
ton house, and on the corners. The pre-
vailing sentiment among all classes seemed
to be that the city had been outraged by
high-handed murder
On Sunday night, two military compa-
MES were stationed at the Jail, and anoth-
er was picketed around the neighborhood
while cannon were planted in an ostenta-
tious manner on Jackson street, though it
was generally known throughout the city
that the negro was not there, and had not
been taken. There was no disturbance
during the night, and to-day the excite
ment is alayed.
| Cbiefof Police Rack uo ara born -