Died in jail or a lockup
Jim Stone
Jim Stone, a Black man, was held in the Mayfield jail in Kentucky and was due for a preliminary hearing the day after he died. Early on December 21, 1896, a mob broke into the jail, overpowered the jailer and took him to the courthouse yard, where he was hanged. The jailer, who had reportedly tried to defend him, was forced to hand him over. Accounts differ on the size of the mob, with one estimate at about 500 men and another at about 200, and one newspaper reported that he was stabbed and shot, a detail the other accounts do not mention. A newspaper also reported unverified claims that he had confessed, which were not confirmed.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched
Reported by: news reports.