Died in jail or a lockup
Patterson Spruill
Patterson Spruill, a Black man, was held in the jail at Plymouth, North Carolina, in January 1888. According to the Fisherman & Farmer, citing unnamed reports, a group of masked men took Patterson Spruill and two other men from the jail around midnight on January 26, 1888. The paper says they were carried about a mile out of town, tied to trees and shot.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. Fisherman & Farmer, citing unnamed reports, says a masked group took him from the Plymouth jail and shot him.
Reported by: Fisherman & Farmer, citing unnamed reports (reporters).