Died in jail or a lockup
Smith Wright
Smith Wright, a Black man, was held in the jail at Annapolis, Maryland. In the early morning of October 5, 1898, a mob of about 50 masked men broke into the jail and forced the night watchman at gunpoint to hand over the keys to the corridor and cells. They took Mr. Wright to a vacant lot on Northwest street and shot him to death, according to a newspaper dispatch.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took Smith Wright from the Annapolis jail, and masked men forced the night watchman at gunpoint to hand over the keys to the corridor and cells, according to a newspaper report of a dispatch.
Reported by: Alexandria Gazette (reporters).