Died in jail or a lockup

James Rufsel

died September 26, 1878 · Murfreesboro jail, Rutherford County, Tennessee

James Rufsel, a Black man, was held in the jail at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, when a mob broke in on the morning of September 26, 1878, took him out and hanged him, according to the Findlay Jeffersonian, published October 11, 1878. The paper does not say whether the jailer resisted the mob or handed over the keys.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched

Source

The Findlay Jeffersonian, October 11, 1878, page 1 The Findlay Jeffersonian, October 11, 1878

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