Died in jail or a lockup
Name not reported
A man held at the Salem jail in Salem, Indiana, was taken from his cell early on Sunday, July 6, 1873, by a mob of about 25 to 40 masked, armed men. The deputy sheriff refused to give up the keys, so the mob opened the cell door, shot the man and hanged him from the railway bridge. He was taken down around 4 o'clock. At the coroner's inquest, the examining surgeon reportedly said the gunshots would not have caused his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took him from the Salem jail cell, and the examining surgeon at the coroner's inquest said the shots alone would not have caused death.
Reported by: examining surgeon at coroner's inquest (medical examiner or coroner).