In the late hours of a Sunday night in Ripley, Tennessee, on October 28, 1906, Deputy Sheriff Hinton Sasely was on duty with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office. He and several other deputies were approaching a residence with the intention of raiding an illegal gambling operation that was taking place inside. As the lawmen neared the house just before midnight, their presence was detected by those within.
Suddenly, one of the men inside the home brandished a firearm and opened fire on the approaching deputies. In the ensuing chaos, Deputy Sasely was struck by the gunfire and was killed instantly. The man who fired the fatal shot was quickly apprehended by the other deputies at the scene. He was taken into custody and for his own safety, was held overnight in a cabin rather than the local jail.
The following day, the sheriff and his deputies began the process of transporting the suspect to the county jail. However, as they were en route, they were met by a large and determined mob. The group of vigilantes overpowered the lawmen and forcibly took the suspect from their custody. The mob then proceeded to lynch the man, hanging him from a tree.
