Gordon H. Shufelt - The Uncommon Case of Daniel Brown: How a White Police Officer Was Convicted of Killing a Black Citizen, Baltimore, 1875

The Uncommon Case of Daniel Brown

TRUE CRIME HISTORY

Twilight of Innocence: The Disappearance of Beverly Potts James Jessen Badal

Tracks to Murder Jonathan Goodman

Terrorism for Self-Glorification: The Herostratos Syndrome Albert Borowitz

Ripperology: A Study of the Worlds First Serial Killer and a Literary Phenomenon Robin Odell

The Good-bye Door: The Incredible True Story of Americas First Female Serial Killer to Die in the Chair Diana Britt Franklin

Murder on Several Occasions Jonathan Goodman

The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories Elizabeth A. De Wolfe

Lethal Witness: Sir Bernard Spilsbury, Honorary Pathologist Andrew Rose

Murder of a Journalist: The True Story of the Death of Donald Ring Mellett Thomas Crowl

Musical Mysteries: From Mozart to John Lennon Albert Borowitz

The Adventuress: Murder, Blackmail, and Confidence Games in the Gilded Age Virginia A. McConnell

Queen Victorias Stalker: The Strange Case of the Boy Jones Jan Bondeson

Born to Lose: Stanley B. Hoss and the Crime Spree That Gripped a Nation James G. Hollock

Murder and Martial Justice: Spying and Retribution in World War II America Meredith Lentz Adams

The Christmas Murders: Classic Stories of True Crime Jonathan Goodman

The Supernatural Murders: Classic Stories of True Crime Jonathan Goodman

Guilty by Popular Demand: A True Story of Small-Town Injustice Bill Osinski

Nameless Indignities: Unraveling the Mystery of One of Illinoiss Most Infamous Crimes Susan Elmore

Hauptmanns Ladder: A Step-by-Step Analysis of the Lindbergh Kidnapping Richard T. Cahill Jr.

The Lincoln Assassination Riddle: Revisiting the Crime of the Nineteenth Century Edited by Frank J. Williams and Michael Burkhimer

Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee Ann Marie Ackermann

The Insanity Defense and the Mad Murderess of Shaker Heights: Examining the Trial of Mariann Colby William L. Tabac

The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York Virginia A. McConnell

Six Capsules: The Gilded Age Murder of Helen Potts George R. Dekle Sr.

A Woman Condemned: The Tragic Case of Anna Antonio James M. Greiner

Bigamy and Bloodshed: The Scandal of Emma Molloy and the Murder of Sarah Graham Larry E. Wood

The Beauty Defense: Femmes Fatales on Trial Laura James

The Potato Masher Murder: Death at the Hands of a Jealous Husband Gary Sosniecki

I Have Struck Mrs. Cochran with a Stake: Sleepwalking, Insanity, and the Trial of Abraham Prescott Leslie Lambert Rounds

The Uncommon Case of Daniel Brown: How a White Police Officer Was Convicted of Killing a Black Citizen, Baltimore, 1875 Gordon H. Shufelt

The
Uncommon Case
of
Daniel Brown

How a White Police Officer
Was Convicted of Killing a
Black Citizen, Baltimore, 1875

Gordon H. Shufelt

2021 by The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio 44242

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ISBN 978-1-60635-412-4

Manufactured in the United States of America

Portions of the text have been published elsewhere: Gordon Shufelt, Elusive Justice in Baltimore: The Conviction of a White Policeman for Killing a Black Man in 1875, Journal of Southern History 83, no. 4 (Nov. 2017): 773814.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced, in any manner whatsoever, without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of short quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Cataloging information for this title is available at the Library of Congress.

25 24 23 22 215 4 3 2 1

For Susanafter more than fifty years, still my girlfriend

Contents

Nobody writes a history book without help and encouragement from many sources. Teachers, librarians, archivists, editors, friends, and family all help, and I have been fortunate in every category. The American University History Department has been a source of encouragement for a long time. Many in the history department have extended support, and I cannot mention all of them. But two stand out: Professor Alan M. Kraut and the late Professor Terence R. Murphy. When I first considered making Baltimore a subject of my research, I benefited from Professor Krauts extensive knowledge of US history, as well as from his wisdom, patience, and kindness. He is the model of what a history professor should be: a first-rate scholar and writer, an energetic supporter of his profession and his university, and a gifted classroom teacher. At the beginning of my studies at AU, Professor Murphy showed me how intellectually challenging and exciting history could be, as he brought insight, humanity, and even a little humor to the classroom. I regret that I never thanked him enough. During a period of study at the University of Colorado, I was fortunate to have guidance from Professor James B. Wolf. Like Professors Kraut and Murphy, he brought to teaching and counseling all the qualities a student could hope for: knowledge, wisdom, an ability to make difficult ideas clear, and a humane appreciation for the subjects of our studies. Indirectly, and sometimes directly, these scholars have influenced my book.

Libraries, archives, and museums hold the secrets of history, and I am grateful to have had access to many of them. The Bender Library at American University has provided a home base and starting place for me for many years. Librarians and archivists at the Library of Congress; the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis; the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore; the Baltimore City Archives; the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland; and the Maryland Room in the Hornbake Library at the University of Maryland have been especially helpful. Among the archivists, special notes of gratitude go to Senior Archivist Joseph Leizear at the Maryland State Archives and the staff at the Maryland Room at the University of Maryland.

Editors at The Journal of Southern History encouraged me in the early stages of this project, and their skill and efficiency were instrumental in producing an earlier version of Daniel and Keziah Browns story. Managing Editor Bethany L. Johnson delivered helpful guidance from early in the process, and the anonymous readers she brought to the project helped me think through my material and put it in better order. At Kent State University Press, the encouragement and guidance I have received from Director Susan Wadsworth-Booth, Managing Editor Mary Young, Design and Production Manager Christine Brooks, and Marketing Manager Richard Fugini have been helpful; and, once again, anonymous readers provided useful suggestions. Copy Editor Valerie Ahwee has helped with her efficient work and willingness to answer many questions. The work of these editors and staff members at Kent State has gone forward smoothly and efficiently despite this years difficult circumstances.

Teachers, librarians, archivists, and editors make direct contributions to the writing of history, but family and friends indirectly provide support and inspiration that are equally essential. On the dedication page is the name of my wife, Susan, and, in view of the love, support, and inspiration she has given me for more than fifty years, the dedication page could not be otherwise. Her suggestions have greatly improved the manuscripts clarity, and she has been heroically patient in rescuing me from struggles with my computer. No day passes in which I do not turn for inspiration to memories of the love and support so selflessly provided me by my Italian immigrant grandparents, Antonio Gianfrancesco and Teresa Melocco Gianfrancesco, and by their Italian American children, Frances Gianfrancesco Shufelt, Mary Gianfrancesco OBrien, Michael Gianfrancesco, and Florence Gianfrancesco Contadino. Love, inspiration, and support come also from my brothers, Frank Shufelt and John Shufelt, and my sister Linda Ansbach. Each is exceptional and talented in his or her own way, and, best of all, each one is thoughtful and humane. John has read portions of the work and offered wise suggestions. Friends teach and inspire, too. Over long lunches and in rambling conversations, Jean and Bill Randolph have taught me a great deal about politics, social issues, and life in general; and even when they didnt know they were doing it, by sharing their insights, they were helping me write about Daniel and Keziah Brown. Similarly, I am grateful for time spent with Roberta and Allen Schectelthoughtful and generous friends who have shared their insights about local government and education.