Shannon, Lexington Herald-Leader, October 28, 1924

Paintsville, Ky., Oct. 28– Marching to the jail at Wayland, Ky., late Sunday night, a mob composed of about 200 reputed residents of Floyd county, with sledge hammer and drills battered down the jail door, released “Kid” Shannon, Negro, 28, accused of the murder of a white man, and mortally shot him when he reached the street. The man died en route to the jail at Prestonburg.

Members of the mob, masked and armed, informed Shannon of their mission and gave him 30 minutes in which to pray, and to answer questions.

Instead he pleaded for his life and they poured a fussilade [sic] of shots into his body and left him for dead. Eighteen bullets riddled him.

So quietly did the mob carry out its purpose and so quickly did it disperse that Floyd county authorities announced they had no clews concerning the identity of any of its participants.

Because Lock Hitchcock, 38, a miner for the Elkhorn Coal Corporation accused him of the theft of $5, Shannon is said to have shot him dead Sunday afternoon. Hitchcock gave Shannon $5 for him to purchase moonshine for him, it is alleged.

Shannon left but later returned with neither whisky [sic] or money, it is reported. An angry debate ensued, after which Hitchcock turned and walked away. Three shots were heard and Hitchcock was found dead with three bullets in his back. A sheriff’s posse found Shannon in the hills and brought him to the jail, at Wayland. He was to have faced a preliminary hearing and then was to have been taken to Prestonburg. 

On the same train and in the same coach that he rode, the body of his victim, Hitchcock, was also. It was being taken to the home for his brother at Paintsville for burial. 

Although having but one arm, Shannon was a musician.