Omaha Republican Hero

Sheriff Stops Multiple Potential Lynchings

Update: Harry Clark, also known as Harrison Clark, received the death penalty and was executed December 13, 1907 (https://cite.case.law/neb/79/473/).

Nebraska historian James E. Potter covered the state history on lynchings and wrote an article “ Wearing the Hempen Neck-Tie ” (https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/de/news/news-articles/nebraska-lynch-mobs-not-always-a-wild-west-creation-says-historian/) Many have not read it, but I obtained a copy from the most wonderful people of History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska Historical Society (https://history.nebraska.gov/).

When I read articles, I also look to the footnotes and end notes. In the end notes of Potter’s article, I found a story about Douglas County Sheriff John McDonald regarding attempted lynchings in the year 1906. McDonald was a Republican (http://genealogytrails.com/neb/douglas/omaha_memories_5.htm). This was McDonald’s second time holding the office after a brief interlude. He was confronted with a lynching party.

Three Black men (Harry Clark, Calvin Waln, and Clarence Gathright) were held for the murder of Edward Flurry, a streetcar conductor (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209374839/edward-flury). This is all according to the Omaha Bee (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/) in 1906, March 16 and 17. A lynching party amassed and attempted to take custody of these Black men. This was taking place more than ten years before the infamous, grotesque, horrific lynching of William Brown.

Yet, Sheriff McDonald was already concerned about the prisoners as two of them had been rumored to have committed other crimes. He was aware of the difficulties of trying to protect the prisoners in the Douglas County Courthouse. McDonald moved the prisoners out of the Douglas County jail, and to where is somewhat disputed.

The lynching mob arrived at the Courthouse and Sheriff McDonald told the mob, the prisoners were not there. He invited select members of the mob to inspect the jail cells themselves. After inspecting the cells, the mob was persuaded the prisoners were not there and left. Law and order, as well as peace, reigned the day.

McDonald shows people do rise to the occasion, but apparently, few learned any lessons from McDonald’s example. Apparently, there were few calls for improved security and new procedures to deal with angry mobs. The result is Omaha would become a crime scene for a horrific lynching, the lynching of William Brown, years later.

You will not find any plaque or historical marker for Sheriff McDonald, or at least not one I am aware of.  Nebraska is largely ignorant of its Republican past and too many of those reviewing history only focus on the negative.  So, for Christmas, remember this Omaha hero.