A Negro Ravisher Burned at the Stake

Title

Source Type

Newspapers

Publisher

The Wilmington Morning Star

Publication Place

Wilmington, NC

Publication Date

10/03/1900

Transcript

A NEGRO RAVISHER BURNED AT THE STAKE. Assaulted a White Woman Near We- tampks, Ala.-Identified - Con- fessed the Crime. By Telegraph to the Morning Star WETUMPKA, ALA., October 2 Winfield Townsend, alias Floyd, a negro, was burned at the stake in the little town of Eclectic, fifteen miles from this place, a half hour after mid- night this morning. The negro's crime was an assault upon Mrs. Len- nie Harrington, whose husband set fire to the brands which reduced Townsend's body to ashes. Yesterday afternoon about 1 o'clock the negro, a nephew of the negro Floyd who was hungin the Wetumpka jail week be- fore last for attempted assault, at- tempted to outrage Mrs. Harrington. Mr. Harrington was engaged at a cot- ton 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 twenty cents from her. She told him she had no change. Then the negro left, but returned in aboutten minutes. The woman's screams were heard by Bob Nichols, another negro, who was passing along the road at the time. He ran to the house in time to see the negro escape. As soon as Mrs. Har rington was brought back to con- sciousness Nichols gave the alarm. Chased by Blood-Hounds. The news spread rapidly. All the stores in Eelectic were closed all the gios and sawmills shut down; the peo ple left their wagons in the road and their plows in the fields and gathered for a pursuit of the negro. The crowd divided, some scouring the woods near the scene of the crime, others went to the pen, for blood hounds. The dogs were not brought to the scene until nearly dark. They were taken to where the negro's tracks disappeared and an exciting chase ensued. The dogs stopped finally at a tree in front of Odion's store on the outskirts of the town. The crowd coming up soon dis- covered the negro sitting on a limb. He was brought down at once and taken to the scene of his crime. There he was confronted by his victim, who positively identified him. Word was sent to the other searching parties that the negro had been found and about 11 o'clock a crowd of several hundreds was in the little village. The negro was then taken to the edge of the village, and surrounded by the mob, shivered with fear. The preparations for death were quickly arranged. A rope was fluog over the lim of a big oak and a hundred men stood ready to lend a hand at the rope. Death at the Stake. Then a halt was called and the man- ner of death discussed by the mob. To decide the matter a vote staken and the balloting showed a majority of the crowd favored death at the stake. The stake was prepared and the ne- gro was bound to it with chains. Pine- knots were piled about him and the flames 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 and help could be heard for miles. The crowd looked on, deaf to his cries, and in an hour the negro was reduced to ashes. Confessed the Crime. Townsend before bound confessed the crime and said he was also implicated with Alexander Floyd, who was hung a couple of weeks ago for an attempted assault on Miss Kate Pearson, in the attempt at that time. He said he and Floyd had planned for other crimes of like character, but that Floyd's being hung put a stop to them. More Trouble Expected. WETUMPKA, ALA October 2.- Townsend made a confession, impli- cating seven other negroes in his crime. As this is the second white woman assaulted in this vicinity within a month, it is believed there is a conspiracy among the negroes. One of the negroes implicated in the con- fession of Townsend was in jail here charged with burglary, and as threats of lynching were made he was sent to Montgomery to-night for safe-keeping The deputy sheriff had a wild drive of fourteen miles through the country, and had he been thirty minutes later a crowd of men who left here by train would have intercepted him. After reaching Montgomery two other negroes who are implicated in the crime were arrested by the deputy. They are Frank Floyd and Jake Floyd, brothers of the negro Floyd who was lynched at Wetumpka Sept. 9. A singular coincidence is that Mrs. Harrington, who was assaulted yes. terday, is a kinswoman of Miss Pea. son, who was assaulted on Sept. 3, for which Floyd was lynched. More trouble may arise.

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