Joe Robertson

Joe Robertson and Ozias McGaha were being moved by train under the custody of Sheriff Menefee of Marshall County when a crowd gathered at Fayetteville, Tennessee, on November 29, 1895. According to newspaper accounts, the sheriff refused to hand the men over, and they were taken to the Fayetteville jail. That night, about 200 armed men broke down four doors of the jail, took the two men out and hanged them in the courthouse yard, and the report says no shots were fired. The newspaper reports that the sheriff had telegraphed the governor for troops, but the troops arrived too late.

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

News reports (7)

• The Morning News, November 30, 1895, page 5 The Morning News, November 30, 1895
• Birmingham State Herald, November 30, 1895, page 1 Birmingham State Herald, November 30, 1895
• Daily Public Ledger, November 30, 1895, page 2 Daily Public Ledger, November 30, 1895
• The Evening Bulletin, November 30, 1895, page 1 The Evening Bulletin, November 30, 1895
• The Roanoke Daily Times, November 30, 1895, page 5 The Roanoke Daily Times, November 30, 1895
• The Norfolk Virginian, November 30, 1895, page 5 The Norfolk Virginian, November 30, 1895
• Hopkinsville Kentuckian, December 3, 1895, page 1 Hopkinsville Kentuckian, December 3, 1895