The Incomplete Life of Shedrick Whitter

One of the less-known places covered in A Brief History of Safety Harbor is the Safety Harbor African American Cemetery, which is located on a small plot of land in Clearwater, near the intersection of Sunset Point Road and U.S. 19. The property was originally donated for its use as a cemetery for the African American community by Solomon Smith Coachman in the early part of the twentieth century.

The first time I visited the cemetery, I was immediately struck by the paucity of gravestones. Many of the graves are unmarked, and their locations were once remembered by pieces of paper tacked in the grass by grieving family members. But one notable exception stands out: A granite marker with a small floral pattern etched in the corners, appearing out of place among the simple gravestones that dot the field. This headstone marks the grave of Shedrick Whitter, born November 9, 1892, died January 10, 1941, at the age of 48. Something about this gravestone struck me as particularly poignant, and I photographed it. But my visit just piqued my interest further. Just who was this man? What was his story? After conducting some research, I was able to discover two things of note about him, which provide some answers about his identity but leave many other unresolved questions.

First: On November 12, 1917, days after his 25^th birthday, Mr. Whitter filed for a patent for his design of an electrical wire support tree. The patent was later granted to Mr. Whitter on August 6, 1918, and assigned U.S. Patent No. 1,275,116. Mr. Whitter’s patent application can be found here, and a digest containing a description of Mr. Whitter’s invention can be found here. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it must have taken for a 25-year-old African American man to file for a U.S. patent in the deep South in 1917. For one thing, Mr. Whitter must’ve been a pretty smart guy, even though he may not have had much of a formal education. Dedicated. Inventive. Ingenious even. But courageous, too, for to file for a patent, he likely had the help of the local white community. He may have developed the design of his invention while working for a business owned by a white man, who probably 

encouraged him. Also, it is notable that the owner of this (presumed) business and his (probably white) coworkers didn’t try to steal Mr. Whitter’s invention and take credit for it themselves. According to the patent application, an attorney named George Kimmel helped him file the necessary forms. So, he was undoubtedly well-respected and well-liked in the community, too—at least that is the way I am picturing him as a 25-year-old. Confident, proud, achievement-oriented. 

The second piece of information I uncovered about Mr. Whitter does not end happily. For this, I’ll simply quote the St. Petersburg Times of December 16, 1936:

“Shedrick Whitter, 40 [note: he was actually 44], negro, of Safety Harbor, charged with the murder of Leonard Henry, 19, negro, Oct. 10, was found guilty of murder in the first degree with recommendation of mercy here tonight. The jury took the case at 8:48 and returned at 9:25 o’clock. The verdict automatically carries a life sentence in the penitentiary. Whitter will be sentenced Friday.”

The details are sketchy. Apparently the deceased was having an argument with Mr. Whitter’s son in the grocery store and beer garden operated by Whitter. Henry supposedly took a beer from the younger Whitter boy during a quarrel and threatened to “drive his head through the wall.” According to one witness, Mr. Whitter then followed Henry out of the store and exclaimed, “Boy, don’t hit that boy or I’ll kill you.”

“Kill me, kill me, looks like you been wantin’ to for the last three or four Saturdays,” Henry reportedly replied.

The primary eyewitness stated that Mr. Whitter then “reached into his bosom and drew out a pistol and while holding the 19-year old Henry boy with his left hand he shot him, holding the pistol in his right.”

Despite testimony from “a number of” witnesses attesting to Mr. Whitter’s good character, including Mayor Louis Zinsser and Constable John Strickland, he was convicted by the 12-man jury after just a half-hour of deliberations. Not a single Safety Harbor resident served on the panel. 

What really happened on October 10, 1936? Did Shedrick Whitter kill Leonard Henry, or was he framed? Did Henry do more than just threaten Mr. Whitter’s son, possibly drawing his own weapon first? The primary witness, it should be noted, was Henry’s brother-in-law, married to the deceased’s sister. Was he covering for what really happened?

We’ll probably never know. There are likely few, if any, people still alive who know the details of this incident or would have known Shedrick at all. I’ve also been unable to uncover any other details about his life. Presumably, Shedrick Whitter was given a life sentence, and he passed away four years later, an incomplete life of great potential ended on a tragic note. But I won’t stop wondering what Shedrick’s life could have been like had he lived in a different time, under different circumstances.

We welcome any comments about Mr. Whitter's experiences, particularly from those who may have known him or one of his family members.

--posted by Warren Firschein--