Burned at the Stake

Title

Burned at the Stake

Source Type

Newspapers

Publisher

The Eagle

Publication Place

Bryan, TX

Publication Date

10/04/1900

Transcript

BURNED AT THE STAKE A Negro's Horrible Fate for Attempted Rape in Alabama. BODY SOON IN ASHES. The Negro Confessed the Crime and Revealed Startling Information That Led to the Arrest of Several Other Negroes. Wetumka, Ala., Oct. 2. -- Wallace Townsend, alias Floyd, a negro, was burned at the stake in the little town of Eclectic, five miles from this place. The negro’s crime was an attempted assault on Mrs. Linnie Harrington whose husband set fire to the brand which reduced Townsend's body to ashes. Monday afternoon about 1 o clock the negro, a nephew of the negro Floyd who was hanged in the Wetupka jail week before last for attempted assault, attempted to outrage Mrs. Harrington. Mr. Harrington was engaged at a cotton gin in Eclectic and lives one mile out of town. The negro came to the house and told Mrs. Harrington that her husband had sent him to get 20 cents from her. She told him she had no change. The negro left the house but returned in about 10 minutes and made the assault. or te The woman's screams were heard by Bob Nichols, another negro, who was passing along the road at the time. He at ba ran to the house in time to see the negro escape. As soon as Mrs. Harrington pa to was restored to consciousness, Nichols in gave the alarm. The news spread rapidly. All the an stores at Electic were instantly closed: no the ginneries and saw mills shut down; CO the people left their wagons in the road th and their plows in the field and gathered for a pursuit of the negro. The crowd divided, some scouring the woods an near the scene of the crime and others an went to the penitentiary for bloodhounds. The dogs were not brought to the scent to until nearly dark. They were taken to where the negro's tracks disappeared and an exciting chase ensured. The dogs stopped finally at a tree in front of cal Odion's store on the north outskirts of ass Eclectic. The crowd coming up soon ho discovered the negro sitting on a limb. the He was brought down at once and taken to the scene of his crime. There he was of confronted by his victim who positively identified him. Word was sent to the other searching is parties that the negro had been found and about 11 o'clock a crowd of several hundred men was in the little village, the He was taken to the edge of the village can and being surrounded by the mob, shivered with fear. The preparations for death were quickly made. A rope was flung over the limb of a big oak tree and the a hundred men stood ready to lend a hand. Then a halt was called and the manner of death discussed by the mob. To decide the matter a vote was taken and the balloting showed a majority of the crowd favored death at the stake. the The stake was prepared and the negro was bound to it with chains. Pine knots were piled about him and the flames the were fired by the husband of the negro's victim. As they leaped to the wretch's flesh his wild cries to God for mercy could be heard at a great distance The terr crowd looked on deaf to his cries and prad half an hour the negro was reduced to ashes. The negro made a confession implicating seven other negroes in his crime. As any this is the second white woman assault- resp cour ed there within a month, it is now believed by the people of that section that there is a conspiracy among the negroes. but One of the negroes implicated in the confession of Townsend was in jail at of Wetumpka charged with burglary and as threats of lynching were made, the negro, Virgil Miller, was brought here and placed in the Montgomery county prop jail. The deputy sheriff had a wild drive of 14 miles through the country and had hote he been 30 minutes later in reaching bet here a crowd of men who came by train would have intercepted him. Two other negroes who are implicated in the crime were arrested by the deputy. They are Frank Floyd and Jake the Floyd, brothers of the negro Zeb Floyd, the who was lynched near Wetumpka on fract Sept. 9. A singular coincidence is that Mrs. whe Harrington is a kinswoman of Miss foot, Pearson, who was assaulted on Sept. 3. tion for which Zeb was lynched. It is believed the conspiracy is directed against his the members of a white family. Three negroes are now in jail in Montgomery and trouble may arise in protecting A them. of local arrested by the deputy. They are Frank Floyd and Jake the Floyd, brothers of the negro Zeb Floyd, the who was lynched near Wetumpka on fract Sept. 9. A singular coincidence is that Mrs. whe Harrington is a kinswoman of Miss foot, Pearson, who was assaulted on Sept. 3. tion for which Zeb was lynched. It is believed the conspiracy is directed against his the members of a white family. Three negroes are now in jail in Montgomery and trouble may arise in protecting them.

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