Garfield McCoy

Garfield McCoy was one of three Black men held in the jail at Newton, the seat of Baker County, Georgia, when a mob came to the jail in June 1903. According to newspaper accounts, the mob told the guard they had another prisoner to lodge, overpowered the jailer when he came to the door with his keys, and, one report says, forced him at gunpoint to open the cell. The mob took McCoy and the two other men about a mile from town, hanged them from a tree and shot them many times. One report says the jailer did not recognize any of the men in the mob.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. A mob took Garfield McCoy from the Newton jail, hanged him from a tree and shot him, according to press accounts; the jailer was overpowered or forced to open the cell.

Reported by: news reporting in the Albany, Ga. dispatch and other press accounts (reporters).

Sources (32)

• Evening Bulletin, June 26, 1903, page 1 Evening Bulletin, June 26, 1903
• Las Vegas Daily Optic, June 26, 1903, page 1 Las Vegas Daily Optic, June 26, 1903
• Santa Fe New Mexican, June 26, 1903, page 1 Santa Fe New Mexican, June 26, 1903
• Deseret Evening News, June 26, 1903, page 1 Deseret Evening News, June 26, 1903
• Americus Times-Recorder, June 27, 1903, page 3 Americus Times-Recorder, June 27, 1903
• The Montgomery Advertiser, June 27, 1903, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, June 27, 1903
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 27, 1903, page 2 The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 27, 1903
• The San Francisco Call, June 27, 1903, page 3 The San Francisco Call, June 27, 1903
• Evening Journal, June 27, 1903, page 2 Evening Journal, June 27, 1903
• The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, June 27, 1903, page 6 The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, June 27, 1903
• The Indianapolis Journal, June 27, 1903, page 1 The Indianapolis Journal, June 27, 1903
• New-York Tribune, June 27, 1903, page 2 New-York Tribune, June 27, 1903
• Daily New Dominion, June 27, 1903, page 4 Daily New Dominion, June 27, 1903
• The Wyoming Tribune, June 27, 1903, page 5 The Wyoming Tribune, June 27, 1903
• Bismarck Daily Tribune, June 27, 1903, page 1 Bismarck Daily Tribune, June 27, 1903
• Daily Public Ledger, June 30, 1903, page 3 Daily Public Ledger, June 30, 1903
• The Progressive Farmer, June 30, 1903, page 4 The Progressive Farmer, June 30, 1903
• The Anderson Intelligencer, July 1, 1903, page 1 The Anderson Intelligencer, July 1, 1903
• Keowee Courier, July 1, 1903, page 2 Keowee Courier, July 1, 1903
• Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner, July 1, 1903, page 1 Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner, July 1, 1903
• The Bamberg Herald, July 2, 1903, page 1 The Bamberg Herald, July 2, 1903
• Jamestown Weekly Alert, July 2, 1903, page 9 Jamestown Weekly Alert, July 2, 1903
• The Manitowoc Pilot, July 2, 1903, page 6 The Manitowoc Pilot, July 2, 1903
• The Cooperstown Courier, July 2, 1903, page 3 The Cooperstown Courier, July 2, 1903
• Newport Weekly Independent, July 3, 1903, page 4 Newport Weekly Independent, July 3, 1903
• The Kinsley Graphic, July 3, 1903, page 6 The Kinsley Graphic, July 3, 1903
• Barton County Democrat, July 3, 1903, page 6 Barton County Democrat, July 3, 1903
• The Kanabec County Times, July 3, 1903, page 6 The Kanabec County Times, July 3, 1903
• Iron County Record, July 3, 1903, page 3 Iron County Record, July 3, 1903
• The Savannah Tribune, July 4, 1903, page 1 The Savannah Tribune, July 4, 1903
• The Logan Republican, July 4, 1903, page 2 The Logan Republican, July 4, 1903
• The Abbeville Press And Banner, July 15, 1903, page 6 The Abbeville Press And Banner, July 15, 1903