Executed
Joe Thompson
Joe Thompson, a Black man, was executed by hanging in Washington, Arkansas, on January 23, 1909. Before the sheriff had finished reading the death warrant, he asked that it be done quickly and climbed the gallows steps without assistance. Reports say he was given the chance to speak and said he was ready to die.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state
Reported by: Hempstead County sheriff's office (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.