Died in jail or a lockup
James Russell
James Russell, a Black person, was being held in the jail at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Early on Thursday, October 3, 1878, a mob took James Russell from that jail and hanged them about a mile from town, according to The Breckenridge News, which published the account on October 9, 1878. The death is recorded as a homicide by a mob, and it occurred while James Russell was in the custody of the jail.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched
Reported by: news reports.