Jesse West
In 1909 newspapers described Jesse West as a prominent cattleman from Canadian, Texas, who was well-to-do. He was held in the jail at Ada, Oklahoma, and early on Monday, April 19, 1909, a mob of about one hundred men took him and three other men from the jail and hanged them in a barn across the street. Accounts differ on how the mob got in: one says the jailer and an extra guard were disarmed and tied, another says the guard was overpowered, and a third says the mob broke open the door after being refused admittance. Reports also differ on the size of the mob, and one said an investigation was underway.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. Newspaper reports from 1909 say a mob of about 100 men took Jesse West from the Ada jail and hanged him from rafters in a barn behind it.
Reported by: 1909 newspaper reports (reporters).
News reports (7)
- The Paducah Evening Sun, April 19, 1909, page 1
- The Daily Guard, April 20, 1909, page 1
- The Lee County Journal, April 23, 1909, page 1
- The Forrest City Times, April 23, 1909, page 1
- The Savannah Tribune, April 24, 1909, page 1
- The Tupelo Journal, April 30, 1909, page 2
- Greene County Herald, April 30, 1909, page 1