William Black

William Black, a 20-year-old Black man, was taken from a deputy sheriff near Robbins in Barnwell County, South Carolina, on Tuesday night, January 7, 1890, while being taken to jail. According to the Indianapolis Journal, he was on his way to his mother's house when he was seized. Masked men tied him to a tree by the roadside and shot him to death, and the Somerset Herald reports the men were believed to be white. The Indianapolis Journal account says members of the group escorting him objected and begged one of the men to stop, and that the shooter then left by train. The Richmond Dispatch reports that efforts were made to conceal the killing, and the remote location made full information hard to obtain.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody

Sources (5)

• Richmond Dispatch, January 12, 1890, page 7 Richmond Dispatch, January 12, 1890
• The Indianapolis Journal, January 13, 1890, page 3 The Indianapolis Journal, January 13, 1890
• The Somerset Herald, January 15, 1890, page 2 The Somerset Herald, January 15, 1890
• The Plaindealer, January 24, 1890, page 3 The Plaindealer, January 24, 1890
• The Freeman, February 1, 1890, page 2 The Freeman, February 1, 1890