Brock Kenley

Brock Kenley, a Black man about 35 years old, was held in the Paducah, Kentucky jail in October 1916. A mob of several hundred to several thousand people, by various accounts, broke into the jail and cut open his steel cell after failing to find keys. The Public Ledger reports that jailer and a circuit judge who tried to stop the mob were overpowered, while other accounts say officers' appeals to disperse were ignored. Newspapers differ on the date, which they give as October 16 or 18, and on details of how he was taken. The mob hanged him from a tree near a home, shot him and set his body on fire.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. Newspaper accounts say a mob took Brock Kenley from the Paducah jail, hanged him from a tree, shot him and burned his body, while officers' appeals were ignored.

Reported by: 1916 newspaper accounts of the Paducah lynching (reporters).

Sources (23)

• The Daily Commonwealth, October 16, 1916, page 1 The Daily Commonwealth, October 16, 1916
• The Seward Gateway, October 16, 1916, page 1 The Seward Gateway, October 16, 1916
• Nogales Daily Herald, October 16, 1916, page 1 Nogales Daily Herald, October 16, 1916
• Evening Star, October 16, 1916, page 2 Evening Star, October 16, 1916
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 16, 1916, page 1 Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 16, 1916
• Evening Times-Republican, October 16, 1916, page 1 Evening Times-Republican, October 16, 1916
• Carson City Daily Appeal, October 16, 1916, page 1 Carson City Daily Appeal, October 16, 1916
• The Laramie Republican, October 16, 1916, page 1 The Laramie Republican, October 16, 1916
• Hopkinsville Kentuckian, October 17, 1916, page 8 Hopkinsville Kentuckian, October 17, 1916
• The Mt. Sterling Advocate, October 17, 1916, page 5 The Mt. Sterling Advocate, October 17, 1916
• The Alaska Daily Empire, October 17, 1916, page 2 The Alaska Daily Empire, October 17, 1916
• New-York Tribune, October 17, 1916, page 12 New-York Tribune, October 17, 1916
• Keowee Courier, October 18, 1916, page 1 Keowee Courier, October 18, 1916
• The Hartford Herald, October 18, 1916, page 1 The Hartford Herald, October 18, 1916
• The Public Ledger, October 18, 1916, page 3 The Public Ledger, October 18, 1916
• Tulsa Daily World, October 18, 1916, page 3 Tulsa Daily World, October 18, 1916
• Weekly Journal-Miner, October 18, 1916, page 1 Weekly Journal-Miner, October 18, 1916
• The Hickman Courier, October 19, 1916, page 6 The Hickman Courier, October 19, 1916
• The Manitowoc Pilot, October 19, 1916, page 2 The Manitowoc Pilot, October 19, 1916
• The Carlsbad Current, October 20, 1916, page 12 The Carlsbad Current, October 20, 1916
• Norwich Bulletin, October 23, 1916, page 4 Norwich Bulletin, October 23, 1916
• The Montgomery Advertiser, October 24, 1916, page 9 The Montgomery Advertiser, October 24, 1916
• Valdez Daily Prospector, October 24, 1916, page 1 Valdez Daily Prospector, October 24, 1916