John D. Ruggles
John D. Ruggles, one of two brothers, was held at the Redding jail in California with his younger brother in July 1892. Early on July 24, about forty armed, masked men broke in, forced the jailer to open the safe for the keys, unlocked the cells and took the two men to a railroad woodshed, where they were hanged. The sheriff and deputy sheriff were asleep at the time, according to the newspaper accounts. The accounts say John asked the crowd to spare his brother, and they differ on how the keys were obtained and on what motivated the mob.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of about forty armed, masked men took John D. Ruggles and his brother from the Redding, California jail and hanged them in a railroad woodshed, after forcing the jailer to open the safe for the keys.
Reported by: news reports.