Died in jail or a lockup
Will Spencer
Will Spencer, a Black man, died in Upshur County, Texas, in early October 1916. According to a report from Gilmer, a mob took him from a jail and killed him, and his body was later found hanging from a tree near Graceton, riddled with bullets. The account names the jail's custody of him as the point at which the mob reached him, and it is the only source describing his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A report from Gilmer says a mob took Will Spencer from a jail and hanged him, with his body riddled with bullets.
Reported by: news reports.