Robert Hall
Robert Hall was held in the Baker County jail in Newton, Georgia, after a sheriff and a policeman took him from his bed at night. Early on January 30, 1943, an ambulance from Albany took him from the jail to a hospital, where he died minutes after admission. Witnesses cited in the Michigan Chronicle report said his body showed 21 abrasions and contusions and signs he had been dragged behind a car, and they blamed Sheriff Claude Screws, who they said had become angry with him. The jailer said Hall had not been touched since his arrival, a claim the report does not establish.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed). Witnesses cited in the Michigan Chronicle/ANP report say Sheriff Claude Screws beat Hall and dragged him behind a car, while the jailer says no one touched him after his arrival.
Reported by: witnesses cited in the Michigan Chronicle/ANP report (witnesses); Baker County Jail jailer (the agency that held him).