Died in jail or a lockup
Johnson Spencer
Johnson Spencer, a Black man, was held in the Oktibbeha County jail in Starkville, Mississippi, in May 1879. About midnight on May 3, a group of about 121 masked men obtained the jail keys from the sheriff, confined the jailer, and took Spencer from the jail. A coroner's inquest jury found that he died at the hands of that group in the early morning of May 4, according to the Memphis Daily Appeal.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A coroner's inquest jury found he died at the hands of a group of masked men who took him from the Oktibbeha County jail after the sheriff handed over the keys.
Reported by: coroner's inquest jury, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi (medical examiner or coroner).