Bush
Bush, a Black man, was held in the Macon County jail in Decatur, Illinois, in September 1898, when a mob broke through the jail door and took him into the street. According to a coroner's inquest as quoted by The Illinois Record, the mob hanged him from an electric light pole, and only seven or eight men were at the jail to defend him. Officers' testimony on whether they resisted or gave up the keys differs, the paper says, and it argues that the State's Attorney did not act to stop the mob. The Illinois Record, a partisan paper during a political campaign, also says officials were warned of the danger and turned away offers of help.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched (disputed; neglect alleged). The Illinois Record says the acting sheriff and State's Attorney Mills were warned of danger, posted no outside guards, and turned away offers of help, while officials reportedly did not deny these points; the paper's account is partisan and one-sided.
Reported by: The Illinois Record (reporters); Wilson Woodford's call to the colored citizens of Decatur (advocates); Coroner's inquest testimony as quoted by the paper (medical examiner or coroner).