Name not reported
A man held in a jail was seized by a crowd of thousands who had gathered outside, demanding that another prisoner, Brown, be handed over to them. San Francisco papers reported that the crowd broke into the jail, took him, and hanged him, and that when the rope broke they strung him up again. Accounts disagree on whether the sheriff resisted the crowd or had already moved the prisoners out of the jail. The 1855 New-York Dispatch account is the source for these details.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched (disputed). San Francisco papers report a crowd broke into the jail and hanged the man, while accounts disagree about whether the sheriff resisted or had already moved his prisoners.
Reported by: San Francisco papers (reporters).