Anthony James was born around 1853 in North Carolina. James worked as a laborer and resided in Duplin County, North Carolina, with his wife Matilda James. James was charged with larceny on November 17, 1874, and sentenced to two years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. James was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 1013. In the descriptive register, James' race is noted as "colored." James was twenty-one years old when he was arrested. James was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, James was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. He was discharged from the railroad on December 13, 1876.