Died in jail or a lockup
Wili Lavender
Will Lavender, a Black man, was held by police in Roanoke, Virginia, and was being guarded by three officers at a policeman's house on February 12, 1892. According to a Roanoke dispatch published in The Morning News, a mob of about 150 broke open the door, took him from the officers, carried him to the river and hanged him from a tree. The Fort Worth Gazette, which puts the crowd at about 100, reports that the officers were overpowered. The dispatch says the crowd was orderly and that no shots were fired.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched
Reported by: Roanoke, Va. dispatch published in The Morning News (reporters).