Died in jail or a lockup
Henry Williams
Henry Williams, a Black man, was held in the Shelbyville jail in Bedford County, Tennessee, in October 1871 while awaiting trial. He was being brought back to the jail after a trip to the district where the matter arose when, after dark, a group of men took him and another prisoner from the guards and hanged them both. A notice pinned to the bodies warned officials not to cut them down, under threat of the same fate.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A group of men took Henry Williams from the guards on his way back to the Shelbyville jail after dark and hanged him; a notice pinned to the bodies warned officials not to cut them down.
Reported by: news reports.