George Fort
George Fort, a Black man, was held in the Lee County jail at Leesburg, Georgia, in February 1899. On the night of February 11, a mob broke into the jail, took him from custody and hanged him from trees on the edge of town, according to an Albany, Ga. dispatch in The Times. The sheriff, who had no force to resist, was reported to have refused to surrender another prisoner but admitted the mob into the jail. A state militia company sent to protect the jail arrived too late, the dispatch said.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. An Albany, Ga. dispatch in The Times says a mob took George Fort from the Lee County jail and hanged him from trees on the edge of Leesburg; the sheriff had no force to resist and admitted the mob into the jail.
Reported by: Albany, Ga. dispatch in The Times (reporters).