Thomas Thurmond
Thomas Thurmond, 23, was held at the San Jose jail in California when a mob of about 100 men broke in on Sunday night, November 26, 1933, after a two-hour battle with officers. According to the Henderson Daily Dispatch, the mob dragged him to St. James Park, about 100 yards away, and hanged him from a tree while thousands watched. The Times-News reported that the sheriff was seriously injured while trying to protect a prisoner from the mob. An editorial in the Atlanta Daily World criticized Governor James Rolph's public statement calling the killing a blessing and his refusal to arrest any members of the mob. The Times-News also reported that the ringleaders might never be punished.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody