Columbus Butterfield
Columbus Butterfield, about 28 years old, was held in the Shelby County jail at Shelbyville, Illinois, awaiting trial. According to the account, a mob broke into the jail, took him, and he was later found hanging from a tree just east of town. A coroner's jury found he died by violence at the hands of persons unknown, and a paper found on his body, signed by a self-described vigilance committee, warned against horse thieves. The local paper said residents regarded the killing as an atrocity and believed he deserved a trial by the courts.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob broke into the Shelby County jail, took Columbus Butterfield and hanged him from a tree east of town, and a coroner's jury found he died by violence at the hands of persons unknown.
Reported by: coroner's jury (medical examiner or coroner); local newspaper.