Grant Atterbury

Grant Atterbury was held in the jail at Sullivan, Illinois, in February 1896. Early on February 12, an armed, masked mob broke into the jail, which was guarded by the sheriff and one deputy, and forced its way upstairs to his cell. Newspaper accounts say the sheriff fired his pistol in the air during the attack, and that the mob dragged Atterbury to the courthouse yard and hanged him from a tree. According to the reports, Atterbury protested his innocence before he died.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody

News reports (4)

• Daily Public Ledger, February 12, 1896, page 3 Daily Public Ledger, February 12, 1896
• Birmingham State Herald, February 13, 1896, page 1 Birmingham State Herald, February 13, 1896
• San Antonio Daily Light, February 13, 1896, page 1 San Antonio Daily Light, February 13, 1896
• Fort Worth Gazette, February 13, 1896, page 4 Fort Worth Gazette, February 13, 1896