Sim Edwards
Sim Edwards, a Black man, was held in the city jail at Hazlehurst, Mississippi, on January 17, 1918. According to the Associated Press, a mob of several hundred people broke the jail door open with a battering ram, took him from his cell, and burned him at the stake in the public square. The account says county officials had tried to protect him. It also reports that the governor instructed county officials to arrest and prosecute members of the mob.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. The Associated Press reported that a mob of several hundred broke open the Hazlehurst city jail with a battering ram, took Sim Edwards from his cell and burned him at the stake in the public square.
Reported by: Associated Press (reporters).