Marion Lynching
The Marion Lynching is a dark part of Grant County history that is often swept under the rug to be forgotten about. It occurred on the night of August 7, 1930 when three black men were accused of raping a white woman, and killing a white man. The story created complete pandemonium within the community of Marion.
Contents
The Shooting
What can be gathered from reports is that three black youths, Thomas Shipp, Abe Smith, and James Cameron, held up Claude Deeter and Mary Ball as they were parked at the local Lover's Lane. During the hold up, one of the youth shot Deeter multiple times, leaving him on the side of the river. Newspapers later reported that Mary Ball was raped and left on the side of the road (Ball later revoked these claims in the Court of Law). She was rescued by a passing motorist. Claude crawled to the road and was picked up and taken to Marion General Hospital.
The Death of Claude Deeter
Claude Deeter was rushed to Marion General Hospital in critical condition. After observation, the doctors confirmed that there was little chance of survival. Claude's family was present, and his mom urged him to forgive his attackers. After finally deciding to forgive, Claude Deeter died Thursday, August 7, 1930 at 1:30pm. His bloody shirt was hung in the window by the sheriff.
Gathering at the Jail
News of the shooting and alleged rape spread quickly through out the town. This greatly angered the people, who were even more enraged after seeing the bloody shirt of Claude Deeter hanging from the window of the courthouse. A small mob began to gather at the jail, growing rapidly in number.
The Lynching
The Death of Tom Shipp
When the mob broke into the jail, Shipp made a futile attempt to hide within his cell. He was dragged form his cell, members of the mob repeatedly beating him with shoes and other objects. He was then lynched from the window of the jail. It has been reported by some observers that Shipp was dead before being hung. Shipp's body was repeated beaten even after being hung. It was later taken down and hung next to that of Abe Smith on the maple tree by the courthouse.
The Death of Abe Smith
After the death of Tom Shipp, the mob made their way up to the third floor where Abe Smith was located. When he bit one man on the arm, another struck him on the head with a crowbar. (Madison, p.9) Smith was then dragged for a block to the courthouse, repeatedly beaten by young men. When they arrived, many women from the crowd ran up, yelling insults and stomping on Smith's head. He was then lynched on a maple tree. Due to the excessive beating, Smith's clothes had torn away from his body. A member of the crowd wrapped a feed sack around his torso and a towel around his legs in order to hide his nakedness.
The Survival of James Cameron
James Cameron was dragged to the now deemed "lynching tree" by the mob shortly after the move of Tom Shipp's body. He was beaten and placed between the two bodies of his friends. Right before the rope was thrown over his neck, a voice cried out over the noise of the mob, declaring Cameron innocent of the crimes accused. The indentity of the owner of the voice remains a mystery (Cameron claimed it was an angel sent from God.) For some unknown reason this seemed to calm the mob, and James Cameron was escorted back to the jail to await trial.
Years after, Cameron dedicated his life to the civil rights movement and founded the Black Holocaust Museum, located in Milwaukee, in 1988. Cameron's expirience in the lnyching and later reconciliation are presented in the historical fiction play The Gospel According to James.
The Days Following
The Trials
The Marion Lynching Trials that followed remain a heated topic of debate. When Tom Shipp and Abe Smith were lynched, the African American community and its supporters demanded justice.
The entire judicial system was manipulated by members of the mob and government officials who wanted to get reelected next term and could not afford to lose the votes of white citizens in Grant County. Flossie Bailey worked hard with the NAACP in order to obtain a fair trial for both James Cameron and the alleged members of the mob.
