Perry County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
End of Watch: Saturday, May 21, 1892
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: May 21, 1892
Weapon Used: Blunt object; Lumber
Suspect Info: Lynched
Deputy Sheriff Tom Holmes was beaten to death by a prisoner he was guarding inside the Perry County Jail.
The Perry County sheriff discovered Deputy Holmes' lifeless body when he entered the jail in the early morning. Because the jail had no cell, Deputy Holmes had been locked inside with the prisoner. The prisoner had managed to slip out of his shackles and crushed Deputy Holmes' skull with a piece of wood.
As soon as Perryville citizens learned of the murder, a mob of armed men forced their way into the jail, seized the prisoner, and hanged him from the nearest tree.