Officer Charles E. Gall

Charles E. Gall

Officer Charlie Gall was shot and killed during a period of political unrest.

There had been several violent political clashes as a result of President Johnson's post-Civil War Reconstruction policies. Officer Gall and two other officers responded to a fight at the Stanhope Hotel on West Washington Street. As they attempted to quell the disturbance the large crowd turned on the officers and started accusing them of being "rebels."

The mob started throwing stones at the officers as they chased them two blocks through town. The officers sought refuge in a house near the intersection of North Jonathan Street and Church Street. The mob swelled to almost 2,000 people as the officers attempted to defend themselves. Some members of the crowd fired several shots at the house, one of which struck Officer Gall in the head.

The mob then stormed the house and stabbed one of the other officers while the rest of the occupants of the home escaped out of the back. The officer who was stabbed eventually recovered from his wounds.

Officer Gall was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War.