Earl James
Earl James was held in the Woodford County jail in Versailles, Kentucky, when a mob of about 50 men arrived in automobiles in the early morning of March 13, 1921, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. The jailer was made to hand over his keys, and the mob took James from his cell and hanged him from a tree about two miles from the city. The jailer did not identify any member of the mob. The newspaper reported that James was awaiting trial for the killing of a distillery guard, a charge that is not repeated here, and the account comes from a single 1921 news report.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of about 50 men took Earl James from the Woodford County jail, where the jailer handed over his keys, and hanged him from a tree near Versailles, according to a 1921 Montgomery Advertiser report.
Reported by: Montgomery Advertiser (reporters).