Died in jail or a lockup
Benjamin Jones
Benjamin Jones, 70, was held in the Clay County jail in Liberty, Missouri, from the Sunday before his death. On the night of September 11, 1898, about seventy-five masked men broke into the jail, took him from his cell and hanged him from the courthouse portico. One account says the jailer did not stop them, and accounts say one pistol ball had entered his back. No official inquiry into the death is reported.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of about seventy-five masked men broke into the Clay County jail, took Benjamin Jones from his cell and hanged him from the courthouse portico, and the newspaper says the jailer did not stop them.
Reported by: news reports.