Red Smith

Red Smith was held in the custody of the sheriff at Naugatuck, West Virginia, when a mob of about 200 people took him on May 13, 1892, and hanged him. Accounts differ on the details: one paper puts the crowd at 300, says he was placed on a mule before being hanged from a limb, and places the events at a sheriff's camp on Laurel Creek. One paper reports that the sheriff was surrounded by the crowd, and the other accounts do not say whether he resisted or handed Smith over. The papers reported that no one had been arrested for the killing.

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

Reported by: news reports.

News reports (4)

• Daily Public Ledger, May 14, 1892, page 3 Daily Public Ledger, May 14, 1892
• The Times, May 14, 1892, page 1 The Times, May 14, 1892
• Huntsville Gazette, May 21, 1892, page 1 Huntsville Gazette, May 21, 1892
• The Grenada Sentinel, May 21, 1892, page 2 The Grenada Sentinel, May 21, 1892