Being born and raised in Connecticut, I’ll be the first to admit that anything beyond the Appalachians is somewhat of a mystery to me — or I should say, was something of a mystery. Over spring break, I had a road trip into Ohio and beyond that showed me the heart of the United States. To celebrate the trip, in this issue of This Week in History, let’s explore Ohio at its worst in a shocking corruption scandal that took place in 1883.
The trouble begins in the bustling young city of Cincinnati during the early 1880s. An industrious region with manufacturing and ample work had just been subdued by a major flood. Amidst the efforts to recover, many dispossessed people ramped up their efforts to get a life going for themselves by turning to crime.
Theft, robbing, fraud and ultimately, murder, would contribute to Cincinnati nearly screeching to a halt by 1884.
In 1883, William Berner and Joe Palmer stood in Cincinnati, desperate for something to go their way. Wages were low, conditions were unlivable and the city was just not supporting its population.
Berner and Palmer worked for a livery stable, a catch-all for horse owners who had wagons or horses that needed a place to stay. It was sort of a truck depot for horses. For example, you could deposit your horse in a livery stable if you were entering into a new town and needed to rest your ride.
It was a messy and raw place to work. A stench would accompany you for the duration of every shift, and customer service would require entertaining everyone from aristocrats to ne’er-do-well criminals.
But by late 1883, Berner and his accomplice Palmer were determined to end this cycle of horrid labor by killing their employer, William Kirk.
The Cincinnati police began an investigation into Kirk’s death, and soon, Palmer and Berner were apprehended. Despite the ills the city was facing, justice was still seemingly being served.
But something was off. The court case began with a lengthy search for suitable jurors. Berner’s lawyers would come to search through around 500 jurors before settling on a 12-person jury.
If you have seen the movie “12 Angry Men,” or have read about court tribulations, you’ll know that any fair case requires an unbiased and thoughtful jury of your peers. Well, with corruption abounding in all levels of the proceedings, the lack of 12 truthful men meant that this week in history, thousands of men would take to the streets in protest of a ruling that Kirk was not murdered and Berner was only deserving of a manslaughter charge.
Before we go on, you may be wondering: Where should we stand on this case? Was Berner guilty?
Well, imagine you are on the jury. Seven witnesses testify that Berner had openly discussed the murder, describing it in visceral and meticulous detail. Each one has no substantial reason to lie, and the number of negative testimonies continues to grow.
The murder was clear-cut, but the court case was a hack job. So, with a manslaughter verdict announced on March 26, 1884, the city went ballistic. Berner was only getting 20 years in jail — no execution necessary — despite that being the regional norm for a convicted murderer.
The resulting chaos is terrifying and a blur in the historical record, yet also slightly hilarious.
The mob began by physically attacking any known members of the jury they could get their hands on. Meanwhile, the head of the jury went into hiding.
Violent attacks were aimed at uncovering the corruption of the trial proceedings but also getting revenge on a trial that was portrayed in the papers as being an outrageous farce. The good citizens of Cincinnati finally realized the gravity of their city’s descent, as historian J. S. Tunison notes:
“A public which knows that by its indolence it has deserved the contempt shown toward it by its own servants and officers, becomes all the more dangerous when its patience is at last exhausted.”
Dead cats, and anything else that can be thrown, were indeed thrown at the homes of jurors — and one unfortunate person who shared the same name as a juror.
In the end, “The Great Riot” of 1884 left Cincinnati’s corruption and inefficiency exposed. Like a wound being treated with alcohol, this sting was worth it. By the 1900s, the citizenry had revitalized their city and were far more active in their city’s affairs.
Today, Cincinnati is a vibrant and special city. Murals decorate the walls of countless buildings, bars and Skyline Chili’s abound. The people are great, and no doubt that’s a result of the years of discontent which came to a boil in the 1880s. I’ll see you next week in history.