Died in jail or a lockup
Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton, a Black man, was being held in the Wickliffe jail in Wickliffe, Kentucky, when a masked mob overpowered the jailer and took him from the building. The mob dragged him to a slaughterhouse on the edge of town and hanged him, and he was found dead at daylight on May 21, 1889. The available account reports that the jailer was overpowered rather than that he gave up the keys or handed the man over. Earlier attempts to seize him had reportedly been made the previous Wednesday and Thursday.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A masked mob overpowered the jailer, took Joe Thornton from the Wickliffe jail to a slaughterhouse and hanged him.
Reported by: news reports.