Bailey Dowdle
Bailey Dowdle, a Black man, was one of five men held in the Yorkville jail in York County, South Carolina. Shortly before 4 a.m. on April 5, 1887, a mob of 60 to 75 armed men forced its way into the jail and took him from his cell, after the sheriff refused to hand over the keys. The mob hanged him from a tree about a mile from the courthouse, along with the other men taken from the jail. The lynchers were not disguised, but according to one report no steps had been taken to identify them.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of 60 to 75 armed men broke into the Yorkville jail after the sheriff refused to hand over the keys, took Bailey Dowdle from his cell and hanged him from a tree about a mile from the courthouse, and the lynchers were not identified.
Reported by: Yorkville correspondent to the Register, as reprinted in the Dispatch (reporters); Columbia special dispatch (reporters).