James Simmons

James Simmons Sr. was held in the jail at Newcastle, Kentucky. On the night of September 3, 1877, a mob of about 100 armed men took him from his cell and hanged him from the timbers of a bridge, according to the Iola Register. Newspaper reports from the time differ on whether three or four men were taken from the jail that night. None of the accounts say whether jail staff resisted the mob or gave up the keys.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took James Simmons Sr. from the Newcastle, Kentucky, jail and hanged him; reports differ on whether three or four men were taken.

Reported by: Cincinnati dispatch reprinted in the Staunton Spectator (reporters); Jail at Newcastle, Ky. accounts (reporters).

Sources (4)

• The Daily Dispatch, September 5, 1877, page 3 The Daily Dispatch, September 5, 1877
• Fulton Journal, September 7, 1877, page 3 Fulton Journal, September 7, 1877
• Staunton Spectator, September 11, 1877, page 2 Staunton Spectator, September 11, 1877
• The Iola Register, September 15, 1877, page 1 The Iola Register, September 15, 1877