In the winter of 1920, a male patrolman named Aylmer Ragland, age 45, served the community of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Having been with the Jonesboro Police Department for several years, he was a familiar presence on the city's streets. His life, however, came to an abrupt and violent end on Christmas Day of that year. While on duty, Patrolman Ragland was killed by gunfire, his service to the city tragically cut short.
The aftermath of the officer's death was as grim as the act itself.
A suspect was identified and subsequently arrested in connection with the murder. This individual was taken into custody and held at the county jail. However, justice in a courtroom was not to be. A mob, incensed by the killing of the patrolman, descended upon the jail. Overpowering any resistance, the group forcibly removed the suspect from his cell.
In an act of vigilante retribution, the mob took the suspect and hanged him from a telephone pole. This violent conclusion to the investigation meant that the person believed to be responsible for Patrolman Ragland's death never faced a formal trial or sentencing. The officer was survived by his son, brother, and sister, who were left to mourn a loss compounded by the brutal events that followed.
