Died in jail or a lockup
James H. Bell
A mob took James H. Bell from the jail at Pierre, Dakota Territory, around two in the morning on April 16, 1885, and hanged him from the courthouse flagstaff, according to a national newspaper report. A Daily Republican account says the jail was held by the authorities, who telephoned for aid, and that the lynchers were scared away from a second man named Bennett. Neither report says whether jail officers resisted the mob or handed over the keys.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took James H. Bell from the jail at Pierre, Dakota Territory, and hanged him from the courthouse flagstaff, according to the 1885 newspaper report.
Reported by: news reports.