Died in jail or a lockup
Rufe Hairston
Rufe Hairston, a Black man, was being held in the Greensboro, North Carolina, jail when a mob came for him on August 25, 1887. The Semi-Weekly Fisherman & Farmer reported that about 150 men broke open the jail door, took him, and hanged him from a limb west of town. The paper did not report whether jail staff resisted the mob or handed over the keys.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob of about 150 men broke open the jail door, took Rufe Hairston from custody and hanged him from a limb west of town.
Reported by: news reports.