Died in jail or a lockup

Joseph Smith

died April 6, 1882 · Putnam County, West Virginia

Joseph Smith, a Black man, was held in the jail at Winfield, West Virginia. On April 6, 1882, a mob broke open the jail, took him from it and hanged him from a tree, according to the Brookings County Sentinel. That paper reports that the mob first forced a confession from him.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched

Reported by: news reports.

Sources (2)

Brookings County Sentinel, April 13, 1882, page 1 Brookings County Sentinel, April 13, 1882
Narragansett Herald, April 15, 1882, page 4 Narragansett Herald, April 15, 1882

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