Died in custody
Name not reported
Three men held in the custody of a constable in Mendocino County, California, were taken from him by a mob and hanged, according to a brief Alexandria Gazette item published September 5, 1879. It does not say whether the constable resisted the crowd, gave up the keys, or handed the men over.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched
Reported by: news reports.