Erastus Warfield
Warfield, a Black man reported to be 23 years old, was being held in the county jail at Elkton, Kentucky, in October 1900. On the night of Wednesday, October 17, a mob of about 150 men came to the jail. The Alexandria Gazette and the Daily Public Ledger reported that the men overpowered the jailer and took the keys, while the Hopkinsville Kentuckian reported that the jailer was persuaded to open the door after talking with the crowd. The mob took him from the jail and hanged him from a tree about a mile from town. A coroner's jury returned a verdict, as the Hopkinsville Kentuckian reported, that he died at the hands of an unknown party or parties by hanging.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took him from the Elkton county jail and hanged him from a tree, and a coroner's jury ruled he died at the hands of an unknown party or parties.
Reported by: Coroner Bruce and a coroner's jury (medical examiner or coroner); Newspaper reporting on the Elkton, Kentucky lynching (reporters).