Russell High was born on February 10, 1899. When he registered for the draft (World War I) in September 1918, he was employed as a laborer by the Shepherd Furniture Company in Durham, North Carolina. In November 1918, he was falsely accused of rape in Winston-Salem, at which place he had been a resident only a few weeks. A mob attempted to break High out of jail with the intention of lynching him. The situation rapidly deteriorated, resulting in widespread rioting, mobilization of the National Guard, and the deaths of several citizens. High survived the ordeal, having been evacuated by state government to the central prison in Raleigh.