In the early frontier days of Carroll and Montgomery counties, being the editor of the newspaper was one of the most dangerous jobs to be found. In fact, one of the earliest reported killings in Carroll County involved the shooting death of the editor of Carrollton’s newspaper by the publisher of the Middleton newspaper.
In the mid-1830s, William C. Clark, an attorney by trade, was also the editor of Carrollton’s newspaper, “The Hornet.” A few miles away in Middleton lived Joseph Lancaster, the publisher of Middleton’s newspaper “The State Advocate.” While the two men shared a common trade, their political positions put them at odds with one another. Clark was a vocal supporter of Henry Clay in each of Clay’s unsuccessful campaigns for president of the United States, first in 1824, then in 1832, and finally in 1844. Following the 1832 campaign, Clark announced in his paper that he “would be editor no more.” Clark said that he intended to continue to support Clay for president, and according to Clark, Lancaster “can’t swallow that.” True to his word, Clark quit his newspaper and returned to practicing law in Carrollton. While Clark was no longer printing articles, the political feud between Clark and Lancaster continued to fester, and by January of 1843, the ill will between the two had reached its peak.
On Friday, December 15, 1843, William C. Clark was in Carrollton to appear in Chancery Court that day. Before court, he stopped in at the Carrollton Hotel, and after a brief visit he began the short walk across the street to the courthouse, unaware that Lancaster was watching Clark from a window of the courthouse. Lancaster quickly dashed outside and met Clark on the front walk. The details of what was said between the two were not reported, but when within ten feet of Clark, Lancaster pulled his pistol, which was loaded with two balls, and fired it at Clark’s head. Both balls struck Clark in the eye, instantly killing him. Newspaper reports of the time stated that Clark was unarmed; however, it was well known that Clark had only a few years earlier shot and killed his law partner, Mr. Rhodes. Following the shooting, Lancaster walked directly to the sheriff’s office where he was arrested and later placed under a $10,000 (approximately $300,000 today) bond.
Four months later in April of 1844, the Circuit Court of Carroll County was convened with the chief aim of trying Joseph Lancaster for the murder of William C. Clark. Because the presiding judge, Judge Caruthers, knew the parties, he recused himself, and Judge Fitch was specially appointed to hear the case. The case was started on Monday and continued for the next three days. News reports of the time suggested that the trial was “one of the most extraordinary and remarkable cases ever tried in a court of justice.” The trial ended on Thursday morning with closing arguments, and the case was submitted to the jury. Shortly thereafter, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
Very few details of the case are recorded. One comment painted Lancaster as the bad guy noting that “those on whose account Lancaster got involved in these difficulties did not make their appearance at trial nor did they visit him while he was in jail.” Other reports suggested that Lancaster was perhaps the victim who had simply “had enough.” It was said that the history between the two men showed “a combined and organized persecution unparralleled in the history of civilized or Christian history.” While the newspapers of the time promised a full report of the history of the difficulties between the two men, no subsequent reports were found. As for Joseph Lancaster, it seems that he and his newspaper, like the town of Middleton, quietly faded into history.
