Charles Brown
Charles Brown, a Black man, was held in the Front Royal jail in Warren County, Virginia. On the night of August 19, 1869, according to newspaper accounts, a group of men in disguise surrounded the jail, forced the jailer at gunpoint to hand over the cell keys, and took Brown and another prisoner out. The Alexandria Gazette reported that the men hanged both prisoners, and that their bodies were found hanging from a cherry tree about a mile from town. The same report said the guard who had protected the jail for several days had been removed earlier that day.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A group of disguised men took him from the Front Royal jail after the jailer handed over the keys at gunpoint, and hanged him from a cherry tree, according to the Alexandria Gazette.
Reported by: Alexandria Gazette (reporters).