Died in jail or a lockupUnder 18
Ben Thomas
Ben Thomas, a 15-year-old Black boy, was one of seven men held under guard at Sunnyside, Texas, in late April 1897. According to a Houston dispatch reported by the San Francisco Call, a mob overpowered the guards and took the men away. Ben Thomas was among six men found hanging from an oak tree the next morning, on April 29, 1897.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. The San Francisco Call, citing a Houston dispatch, reports that a mob overpowered the guards holding Ben Thomas and hanged him from an oak tree.
Reported by: San Francisco Call (citing a Houston dispatch) (reporters).