Jim Cobb

James Cobb, also called Jim, was a Black man held in the Crisp County jail in Cordele, Georgia, in May 1918. Reports say a mob of about 400 people came to the jail around midnight on May 23, broke through to his cell, and took him away by automobile. According to one account, the sheriff and his deputies pleaded with the crowd to disperse for nearly an hour before the jail was entered. Accounts differ on where he was hanged, some placing it on the Tremont road shortly after midnight and others about eight miles away early the next morning, and reports say his body was shot afterward.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody

News reports (5)

• The Evening Leader, May 23, 1918, page 1 The Evening Leader, May 23, 1918
• The Ocala Evening Star, May 23, 1918, page 1 The Ocala Evening Star, May 23, 1918
• The Montgomery Advertiser, May 24, 1918, page 5 The Montgomery Advertiser, May 24, 1918
• The Pensacola Journal, May 24, 1918, page 6 The Pensacola Journal, May 24, 1918
• The Dawson News, May 28, 1918, page 5 The Dawson News, May 28, 1918