Died in jail or a lockup
Raphael Williams
Raphael Williams, a Black man, was held in a jail when a mob broke in, took him out and hanged him from a tree, according to a Leavenworth dispatch carried by the National Republican on August 1, 1876. The dispatch gives July 31, 1876 as the date of the killing. It does not name the jail or say where it stood, and it does not say whether the jailer or any officers resisted the mob, gave up keys, or handed him over. The account comes from a single brief wire report.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A Leavenworth special dispatch published in the National Republican says a mob hanged Raphael Williams from a tree after taking him from a jail.
Reported by: Leavenworth special dispatch, National Republican (reporters).