Prindley Thomson
Prindley Thomson was one of several Black men held in the Yorkville jail in York County, South Carolina, in April 1887. Sources differ on the date, with most giving the early morning of April 5 and one giving April 6. A mob of several dozen men broke into the jail, and the sheriff, who also served as jailer, refused to hand over the keys and fired his gun to raise an alarm, but could not stop them. The men took Prindley Thomson from his cell and hanged him from a tree about a mile from town, along with four others. A coroner's inquest found that he died by hanging at the hands of persons unknown, and his relatives took his body.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A coroner's inquest found he died from hanging at the hands of persons unknown after a mob took him from the Yorkville jail, where the sheriff had refused to give up the keys.
Reported by: coroner's inquest (medical examiner or coroner); grand jury presentment; Yorkville Enquirer (reporters).