A Horrible Retribution. Unparalleled Torture Inflicted Upon A Colored Criminal In Alabama

Title

Source Type

Newspapers

Publisher

Evening Star

Publication Place

Washington D.C.

Publication Date

08/02/1884

Transcript

A Horrible Retribution. UNPARALLELED TONTURE INFLICTED UPON A COLORED CRIMINAL IN ALABAMA. A dispatch from Anniston, Ala., says that there on Tuesday morning the 13-year-old daughter of a well-known citizen of Tuscaloosa, who lives on the outskirts of the town, went into town for the purpose of taking a music lesson. On her return home in the evening she met Andy Burke, a negro, who asked her some question, which she was answering when a sheet of music fell out of her book. As she stooped to pick it up Burke flung his arm around her waist and lifting her up and holding her mouth closed with the other hand, ran into a copse of woods with her. As he ran the girl lost her hat. A gentleman riding by saw the hat on the road, and seeing tracks leading into the woods and hearing muffled screams in that direction, he followed the steps and sound. As soon as Burke saw that rescue had come to the girl he released her and escaped. All night Tuesday and through Wednesday parties of men prosecuted a search, finding the fugitive yesterday. They took him before the girl who identified him fully, when he confessed his crime. He was put in a guard-house, from which he was subsequently taken by a mob, shot and hung near the Presbyterian church, where his body lay until morning, when it was carted off and burled. It is charged that when the negro was taken out he was first mutilated, and after letting him suffer for a while the suggestion was made to scalp him, which was accordingly done. By this time the crowd became full committed to the policy or torturing him, when he was partially disemboweled. All the time, it is said, the wretch begged piteously for the final act which would put him out of pain. When the party had satiated itself with the criminal's suffering he was strung up to a tree, all the party who had revolvers firing bullets into the swinging body, after which it was cut down and left to be discovered by daylight. The details which rumor gives of the night's work are most horrible. It is said that the matter will be thoroughly investigated by order of the governor to find out the truth of these rumors.

Sources for

See all items with this value Andy Burke