William Hillis
William Hillis was held in the jail at McMinnville, Tennessee, awaiting trial, when on the night of April 25-26, 1896, about fifteen masked men overpowered the jailer and took his keys. The men entered the jail, took William and his brother Victor from their cells, and rode about five miles southeast of town, where they hanged both brothers from the same tree. One newspaper account says the jailer was forced to hand over the keys after a hard fight, and another says William fell into a swoon when the men reached his cell. The reports disagree on how the struggle at the jail unfolded.
Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A mob took William Hillis from the McMinnville jail, where the jailer was forced to give up the keys, and hanged him about five miles away.
Reported by: news reports.