1867 Franklin, Indiana lynchings

none June 2026 June 2026 On October 31, 1867, a mob broke into the Johnson County jail in Franklin, Indiana and lynched John Patterson and Henry Hatchell. The two men were awaiting trial for the murder of David J. Lyons of Greenwood, Indiana.Farley J.F. November 7, 1867 LYNCH LAW: Two Men taken from Jail and Hanged https://www.newspapers.com/article/franklin-democrat-1867-lynching-franklin/176127322/ May 27, 2026 Franklin Democrat 4 Background John Patterson and Henry Hatchel were living near Greenwood, Indiana. The two were known to be part of a larger group of thieves who had gained notoriety in the area for stealing money and farming equipment. On August 12, 1867, David J. LyonsDavid Lyons Census, United States Census, 1860 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4N8-KS5?lang=en&cid=fs_copy familysearch.org of Greenwood, was robbed and fatally shot. John Patterson, Henry Hatchell, David Johnson (reportedly a pseudonym and also spelled Johnsen) and William Simmons were among others who were indicted for the crimes. John Patterson escaped jail, but was found and apprehended in Boyle County, Kentucky. John Patterson was subsequently returned to the Johnson County Jail where he was to remain in jail until his trial. Lynching thumb|The highlighted area in the upper right shows the 80-acre Scofield property, reported to be the site of the lynching of Hatchell and Patterson. This image is a reproduction of an 1866 map of Franklin Township in Johnson County, Indiana Frustrations began to mount due to the length of the trail and fear that the courts would fail to reach justice. The Greenwood residents familiar with the circumstances began contemplating revenge. After 11 pm on the night of October 31, 1867, a mob broke into the Johnson County jail with a sledgehammer. Many Franklin residents and authorities tried unsuccessfully to dissuade the mob, reported to be around 400 people. The mob succeeded in removing Hatchell and Patterson from the jail. Hatchell momentarily escaped, but was reportedly shot in the leg and quickly recaptured. The mob brought Patterson and Hatchell to an area north of town known at the time as Schoffield's (also spelled Scofield) woods. The men were tied up with cords and hung until their death. Aftermath The bodies were left behind by the mob and reportedly large numbers of people visited the scene marked by handwritten signs. An article in the November 7, 1867, newspaper, the Franklin Democrat, provided a detailed description of the events and condemned the violence. The lynchings were also reported in Chicago,November 2, 1867 NEWS https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-1867-franklin-indiana-ly/176126480/ Chicago Tribune 1 New York, CincinnatiNovember 2, 1867 Murderers Lynched https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-1867-cincinnati/198433683/ May 28, 2026 The Cincinnati Enquirer 1 and many other newspapers.November 2, 1867 CRIME, Two Murderers Lynched at Franklin, Indiana https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-herald-1867-lynching-franklin-i/176126819/ May 27, 2026 New York Herald 1 Some of those alleged to be involved in these crimes were brought to trial in November 1867, but no one was ever convicted. An article published in 1883 asserts that Bob and Eli Johnson (Johnsen) were later convicted for their involvement in the murder of David J. Lyons (August 1867 robbery victim) and sentenced to prison. As a result of this incident, county officials deemed the Johnson County Jail unfit and construction of a new jail building began shortly afterwards. +Timeline and locations of incidentsDates of incident: October 31, 1867 - November 1, 1867Timeline and locations of incidents: (GPS coordinates approximate)11:00 - 11:30 pm on October 31, 1867 - Johnson Couty Jail breached (39 28 48.82 N 86 03 18.26 W type:landmark_region:US-IN Johnson Couty Jail breached)Branigin, A.M. Elba L. HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY INDIANA B. F. Bowden & Co., INC. 1913 Indianapolis 105–110 Time Unknown - Victims brought to Scoffield Woods along state road (39 29 23.28 N 86 03 32.76 W type:landmark_region:US-IN Victims brought to Scoffield Woods) Time Unknown - Henry Hatchell attempts to flee and is shot and wounded Time Unknown - Two victims died of hanging (39 29 33.72 N 86 03 41.76 W type:landmark_region:US-IN Hanging)July 13, 1883 RETOLD The Story of the Murder of David Lyons, Near Greenwood, and the Subsequent Hanging of Patterson and Hatchell by a Mob. https://www.newspapers.com/article/franklin-democrat-1883-recall-of-1867-ly/198411956/ May 27, 2026 Franklin Democrat 4 References Franklin, Indiana Franklin