Died in jail or a lockup
John Davis
John Davis was one of three Black men held in the jail at Charlestown, in Clark County. After the circuit judge had taken the jail keys and left town, a mob broke down the jail door, took the three men from the jail, and hanged them from a tree just outside town. The sheriff at the time was George W. Baxter.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A newspaper account reports that a mob broke down the Charlestown jail door after the circuit judge left town, took John Davis and two other Black men, and hanged them from a tree outside town.
Reported by: newspaper account of the Charlestown lynching (reporters).