'He needs acknowledgement': Historians and activists work to remember 1861 victim of lynching in Milwaukee

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A scar on Milwaukee history left unaddressed for nearly 170 years is now coming to light. Two men fought hard to make sure the victim of Milwaukee's only lynching is now never forgotten.

"It was a horrible scene, horrible situation, really a black stain for Milwaukee," said Randy Bryant, Chairperson of the Milwaukee County Landmarks Committee.

These are some of the earliest photos of Milwaukee. On these streets, an African American man named Marshall Clark took a job as an apprentice barber at his father's barbershop, and made a friend named James Shelton. The year was 1861.

"At that time, the Third Ward was full of a lot of bars," said Bryant.

Randy Bryant is chairperson of the Milwaukee County landmarks committee. October 11th, he took the podium before a large crowd on buffalo, near water street.

"Today is not a celebration day or a joyous day, but a day to honor the life of George Marshall Clark," said Bryant.

A plaque, in memory of George Marshall Clark, is now permanently on display in the third ward, thanks to the committee, just steps away from where the 23-year-old was murdered by a vengeful mob in 1861.

"It was important to put it in the area where the lynching actually occurred so people could understand and could conceptualize that this is like a demarcation of where the event occurred," said Bryant.

Back then, the third ward may have been described as gritty. And although Wisconsin was a free state, racial tensions were rising. Of Milwaukee's population of 45,000, just over 100 were Black.

"They worked as barbers, carpenters, masons, so that was considered to be fairly good work. However, as more immigrants came in. The blacks were relegated to the bottom once again so therefore, they took on more domestic roles, so working as domestics and servants," said Bryant.

September 6, 1861, was a night out for Marshall Clark and his friend James Shelton on Michigan street. The pair exchanged words with saloon owner Darbey Carney. In the scuffle, Clark's friend Shelton stabbed Carney. Carney later died and police arrested both Shelton and Clark.

"Once Darby died, the crowd went down to the jail house, and they had already pre-planned this, they said if he dies, we're going to go there and we're going to lynch one of these gentlemen," said Bryant.

A newspaper clipping from the time says "chief of police Beck rallied his police force, but they were quickly overcome, Beck being knocked down as he attempted to guard the entrance to the jail" and "in the confusion Shelton escaped but Clark was taken to the number six engine house, where he had a mock trial and was sentenced to be hung."

"They beat him really bad, drug his body, he was almost dead by the time they hung him and when he was lynched, they went to leave his body hanging overnight. He (Marshall) pleaded for his life and let them know I did not do this, I did not commit this crime and there was a couple people that questioned maybe, do we really have the right guy," said Bryant.

Lynchings are a dark part of American history, reported in the south from 1877 to 1950, and even today lynching remains strongly associated with the south.

"I remember someone mentioned it to me like while walking downtown somewhere I think we were on like Broadway and they were just like did you know someone was lynched down here and I'm just like no, I had no idea, tell me more and that led me to Google searching," said Tyrone Randle, Milwaukee Artist and Activist.

Tyrone Randles murals of historic significance have gotten him noticed.

"This is always told to us to be something that happened in the south, like this does not happen here, it's not taught in schools that this ever happened here," said Randle.

Randle was on a mission in 2020 to learn more about marshall clark, when racial tensions were rising around the country, just as they had been in 1861. This time, with sympathy for the murder of george floyd. Randle was marching with the people's revolution when he says he experienced something that changed his life.

"And I felt really connected to Marshall's story just through my experience," said Randle.

Marshall says police tried to detain him, then he was run over by a car.

"They essentially chased me down. I remember putting my hands in the air and cause I got trapped behind a bunch of people and I just like got nudged and they knocked me between their shields and then into a car and then after I bounced off the car I ended up on the ground where they were like wrenching a knee in my back and my arm behind wrenched behind me and next thing I know I see headlights coming at me full on and I see legs like parting the lights and I'm just like, they're leaving me out here, broke three ribs, both sides of my pelvis, and my lower spine. I had a concussion and at some point during that I blacked out and I wasn't there and then I came back to. I walked with a cane for three years so I'm blessed to be walking, I'm blessed to be alive, but also that's why this meant so much personally," said Randle.

Randle was moved to try to find the resting place of Marshall Clark. His search led him to forest home cemetery in Milwaukee, but after two long days looking for a head stone, Randle found there was none.

"That changed the whole, everything, like now he needs a headstone, he needs acknowledgement like how is it that he's been here for 160 years, and no one's known?" said Randle.

Randle started a go fund me to get Marshall Clark a head stone, and it worked. Hundreds donated and this was the dedication ceremony.

"I was really happy to know that a lot of the white citizens of Milwaukee, the white Milwaukeeans who live here donated to this fund and I think that was beautiful. For me it was like, it's a close for Marshall and that's a great thing but there are so many other stories here to be told still," said Randle.

Randle walked us around forest home cemetery on this crisp autumn day, showing us others, he hopes will one day join Marshall Clark and find their stories in history books at schools all over the country.

"Eventually I feel like that'll happen especially seeing that someone else took up the torch and got him a plaque. That was full circle, full circle and I mean that's what this was for," said Randle.

"Milwaukee is a town that is poised for greatness and the ability to get there will depend upon our ability to work all together as one -28 it's not a community for blacks. It's not a community for whites. It's a community for everyone," said Bryant.