Died in jail or a lockup
Armstead Williams
Armstead Williams, a Black man, was being held in the jail at Madison, Florida, when a mob took him from it on Friday afternoon, November 28, 1884, and killed him. The Union County Courier reported that several hundred people broke into the jail and shot him, killing him instantly. The Democratic Advocate reported that the mob took him from the jail and lynched him. Neither account says whether the jail's officers tried to stop the mob or gave up the keys.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched
Reported by: The Democratic Advocate (reporters); Union County Courier (reporters).