One of 12 people whose names were not reported
A Black man held at the jail in Trenton, Gibson County, West Tennessee, died in the early hours of August 26, 1874. Around one o'clock that morning, a mob of 75 to 100 armed men in masks entered the town, forced the sheriff to hand over the keys, and took the people held in the jail out. Sheriff Williams said he heard shots within fifteen minutes, and the Memphis Daily Appeal reported that four of those taken, including him, were found shot beyond the river bridge. An inquest held by Justice J. M. Caldwell found that the deaths resulted from shots fired by unknown parties. Newspapers across the South condemned the killings and called for those responsible to be arrested and punished.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. Newspaper accounts report that a mob of 75 to 100 men forced the Trenton jail sheriff to hand over the keys, took the prisoners out and killed them, and an inquest found they died from shots fired by unknown parties.
Reported by: Sheriff Williams (the agency that held him); Justice J. M. Caldwell's inquest (court); Memphis and Nashville dispatches reprinted in newspapers (reporters).
News reports (8)
- Memphis Daily Appeal, August 27, 1874, page 4
- The Dallas Daily Herald, August 27, 1874, page 1
- New Orleans Republican, August 27, 1874, page 1
- Alexandria Gazette, September 2, 1874, page 2
- The Weekly Clarion, September 3, 1874, page 2
- The Valley Virginian, September 3, 1874, page 2
- Memphis Daily Appeal, September 6, 1874, page 1
- The Valley Virginian, September 10, 1874, page 3