William Baird

William Baird, a young coal miner and striking worker in Walker County, Alabama, was held in the Walker County jail at Jasper in January 1921. According to the state's prosecutors, a masked mob that included National Guard soldiers on strike duty took him from his cell on the night of January 13 and shot him on a lonely road near Jasper. One account, from the Pensacola Journal, says the jailer tried to stop the mob, was beaten with a revolver butt, and surrendered the cell keys. Nine guardsmen were indicted, but the trials have ended in hung juries, and an appeals court has ordered a new trial, so no conviction has been reported.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched (neglect alleged). A Walker County grand jury criticized the jail staff on duty that night, according to one account, but the article does not say what they failed to do.

Reported by: Jailer Sides and county officers (the agency that held him); Walker County deputy's written account (the agency that held him); Judge Horace C. Wilkinson, special assistant attorney general (outside investigators); Walker County grand jury (court); state witnesses, including a soldier's confession (witnesses); Associated Press (reporters); International News Service (reporters).

News reports (39)

• The Cordele Dispatch And Daily Sentinel, January 13, 1921, page 1 The Cordele Dispatch And Daily Sentinel, January 13, 1921
• The Log Cabin Democrat, January 13, 1921, page 1 The Log Cabin Democrat, January 13, 1921
• The Siftings Herald, January 13, 1921, page 1 The Siftings Herald, January 13, 1921
• The Ocala Evening Star, January 13, 1921, page 1 The Ocala Evening Star, January 13, 1921
• The Daytona Daily News, January 13, 1921, page 1 The Daytona Daily News, January 13, 1921
• The Montgomery Advertiser, January 14, 1921, page 3 The Montgomery Advertiser, January 14, 1921
• The Pensacola Journal, January 14, 1921, page 1 The Pensacola Journal, January 14, 1921
• The Pensacola Journal, January 16, 1921, page 2 The Pensacola Journal, January 16, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 17, 1921, page 1 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 17, 1921
• The Siftings Herald, January 17, 1921, page 1 The Siftings Herald, January 17, 1921
• The Daytona Daily News, January 17, 1921, page 1 The Daytona Daily News, January 17, 1921
• The Pensacola Journal, January 17, 1921, page 1 The Pensacola Journal, January 17, 1921
• Americus Times-Recorder, January 18, 1921, page 1 Americus Times-Recorder, January 18, 1921
• The Montgomery Advertiser, January 19, 1921, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, January 19, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 19, 1921, page 1 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 19, 1921
• The Pensacola Journal, January 19, 1921, page 1 The Pensacola Journal, January 19, 1921
• Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, January 20, 1921, page 7 Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, January 20, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 22, 1921, page 1 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 22, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 29, 1921, page 1 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 29, 1921
• The Cordele Dispatch And Daily Sentinel, February 2, 1921, page 1 The Cordele Dispatch And Daily Sentinel, February 2, 1921
• The Siftings Herald, February 3, 1921, page 1 The Siftings Herald, February 3, 1921
• The Pensacola Journal, February 4, 1921, page 1 The Pensacola Journal, February 4, 1921
• Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, February 5, 1921, page 1 Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, February 5, 1921
• Americus Times-Recorder, February 7, 1921, page 2 Americus Times-Recorder, February 7, 1921
• The Montgomery Advertiser, February 17, 1921, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, February 17, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 20, 1921, page 17 The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 20, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 20, 1921, page 11 The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 20, 1921
• The Montgomery Advertiser, February 20, 1921, page 10 The Montgomery Advertiser, February 20, 1921
• The Montgomery Advertiser, February 20, 1921, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, February 20, 1921
• The Montgomery Advertiser, February 21, 1921, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, February 21, 1921
• The Pensacola Journal, February 21, 1921, page 1 The Pensacola Journal, February 21, 1921
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 8, 1922, page 1 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 8, 1922
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 10, 1922, page 2 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 10, 1922
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 12, 1922, page 1 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 12, 1922
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 11, 1924, page 4 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 11, 1924
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 20, 1924, page 8 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 20, 1924
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 21, 1924, page 2 The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 21, 1924
• The Birmingham Age-Herald, November 29, 1924, page 3 The Birmingham Age-Herald, November 29, 1924
• The Montgomery Advertiser, February 18, 1925, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, February 18, 1925