Died in jail or a lockup
Hinford Smith
Hinford Smith, a Black man, was held in the jail at Tadwell Court House, Virginia. Early on the morning of Sunday, December 31, 1882, a mob broke in, took him from the jail, and shot him many times, according to The Clarion's report published January 17, 1883. The report says that while some of the mob drew the jailer's attention, others removed Smith, and that the jailer's wife followed them firing a pistol in an attempt to stop them. The paper says the mob emptied their revolvers into him, and the account of the killing comes from a single newspaper report, so details about the mob and any official investigation are not established here.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched
Reported by: news reports.