Floyd County Indiana ,  HANGINGS

Surnames:   ANDERSON     BESSE      BURNETT      DAMON GROSS
GWIN     LAMB     LEYDEN
      RENO     SMITH     TAYLOR


New Albany Daily Ledger 14 Aug 1884 p4:


                         FLOYD COUNTY HANGINGS

                         Only Three of Them and Who They Were

   A correspondent writes the Ledger an inquiry as follows:  "Was not
Jacob LAMB the first man executed in Floyd county for murder?  How many
executions have taken place in the county for murder?"
   The Ledger answers the last question first.  There have been three
executions in Floyd county of murderers.   The first was John DAMON, for
the Murder of a man at the southeast corner of Main and Pearl streets,
DAMON entering the man’s house at night, killing him, placing him in a
bed tick and dragging him to the river throwing the body in, where it
was afterwards caught.  Jacob BESSE, the first sheriff of the county,
did the hanging in 1819 or 1820, if our recollection is not at fault.

   Jacob LAMB was the second man executed.  On the 28th day of November,
1828, on the knobs a short distance north of the LEYDEN farm, he killed
Thomas TAYLOR, his companion, with an oak club, crushing in his
forehead.  The murder was committed in the night, and both men had been
drinking.  LAMB claimed that TAYLOR attacked him and he struck back in
self defense, but afterwards put in a plea of general denial of all
knowledge of the murder.  He was found guilty at the May term, 1829, of
the circuit court, and executed by hanging on the 30th day of June
following.  Ex-Mayor BURNETT was sheriff at that time and by LAMB’s
special request conducted the hanging.
   The third and last execution was that of William GROSS, a young
German, who killed John Peter SMITH, near Jeffersonville, on the 1st of
November, 1849.  He took a change of venue from Clark to Floyd county,
and on his trial in the Floyd circuit court was found guilty and
sentenced to death.  He was executed on Friday, December 13, 1850, in
Falling Run bottom, opposite the head of West First street.  Thomas GWIN
sheriff of the county and conducted the execution.
   These are all the hangings that have occurred in Floyd county, except
the execution of the three RENO Brothers and Charles ANDERSON, by a mob,
in the county jail in this city.


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