Died in custody
Jim Elder
Jim Elder, a Black man, was one of five people held in the custody of the sheriff at Springfield, Tennessee. As the sheriff was taking them toward the jail, an armed mob rushed into the courthouse, seized them and hanged them from the courthouse veranda. The sheriff's officers fired on the mob but could not stop it. A coroner's jury returned a verdict of death by hanging at the hands of persons unknown.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A coroner's jury returned a verdict of death from hanging by persons unknown.
Reported by: coroner's jury (medical examiner or coroner).