Executed
Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith, a Black man, was hanged in a judicial execution at New Kent Court House, Virginia, according to an 1879 report in the American Citizen. As a person held in state custody, his death was carried out by the state under sentence. The newspaper account reports the hanging without describing objections to it or any statements from his family.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state
Reported by: historical newspaper report.