Died in jail or a lockup
Green Wells
Green Wells, a Black man, was being held at the Lawrenceburg jail in Tennessee in May 1891, after a judge advised the sheriff to stop there rather than take him on to Columbia, where a large crowd had gathered. A Columbia news dispatch published May 28, 1891 reported that a mob took Wells from the jail, hanged him from a tree and fired several shots into his body. The accounts differ on the date, giving May 26 or the night of May 27, 1891.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took Green Wells from officers and hanged him from a tree, then fired several shots into his body, according to a Columbia, Tennessee news dispatch.
Reported by: Columbia, Tenn. news dispatch (reporters).