Thompson
Thompson, a Black man, was held in the Spartanburg jail when a large crowd of men took him from custody on March 1, 1886, according to The Abbeville Messenger. The paper reports that the mob broke the outer jail door, secured the keys and took him through the public square to Dean's grove on the edge of town, where he was hanged. The Watchman And Southron said some of the mob were drunk and described the killing as brutal. A coroner's jury, drawn from bystanders, found that he died by hanging at the hands of persons unknown.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A coroner's jury found he died by hanging at the hands of persons unknown after a mob took him from the Spartanburg jail.
Reported by: Coroner's jury (medical examiner or coroner); Spartanburg newspaper report (reporters).