The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-07-29
BURNED AT THE STAKE.

served the one hundredth anniversary Of
the burning, at the stake, by the Indians.
of Col. William Crawford. He was cap
tured by the Delaware Indians and the
warriors decided he must die. But be-
fore they could carry out their decree 1t
was necessary to obtain the consent of
the Wvandots. The Delaware Indians
were tenants at-will in the Wyandots'
! country and burning at the stake was an
obsolete custom with them. Without
the consent of the Half King the captors
of Col. Crawford did not dare to infiict
| the death penalty. \ messenger, bear
ing a belt of wampum, was sent to the
Half King with the following message
g ncle. We, your nephews, the Lenni
Lenape (the Indian name of the Della
wares). salute you in spirit of kindness
love and respect. Uncle. We have pro-
ject in view which We ardently wish to
accomplish if our uncle will not Overrule
us. BY returning the wampum we will
have your pledged word" Half King,
concluding it Was a contemplated expedi-
ton of Delaware war party intending
to strike some of the white settlements,
returned the belt to the messenger say
ing" Say to my nephews they have my
pledge" This was death warrant to
the unfortunate Crawford.
A s soon as the fleet had returned from
the Half Kings village with the now tor
ture empowered belt of wampum, Col.
Crawford was hurried forth to his place
of torture. 1t was on the eleventh day
day of June, and the afternoon was we'll
spent when Crawford, under escort of his
tormentors, arrived at this ever memora-
bic spot of ground. They here met
many Wyandots from the Half Kings
town. and men. squaws and children from
tina Delaware village, over which Captain
Pipe ruled. \ fire was brightly burning.
Crawford was stripped naked and order
ed to set down upon the fire. The In
dams now beat him with their fists and
sticks. The fatal stake-a post about fif-
teen feet high-had been set firmly 10
the ground and piles of hickory poles,
thicker than a mans thumb and from
eight to twelve feet long, lay at the dis.
tnncc of four or five yards from the
stake. Crawford's hands were tied be-
hind his back.
\ strong rope was produced, one end
of which was fastened to the ligature
between his wrists and the other tied to
the post near the ground. The rope was
long enough to permit him to walk
around the stake several times and then
return. Crawford observing these terri
BILE preparations. called to Simon Girty,
who sat on horseback at a distance of
few yards from the fire, and asked if the
Indians were going to burn him. Girty
very cOolly replied in the affirmative.
Crawford heard the reply with firmness,
merely observing that he would bear it
with fortitude. When the poles had
been burned asunder in the middle Capt.
Pipe arose and addressed the GRO wd in
tone of great energy and with animated
gestures, pointing frequently to Craw-
ford who regarded him with an appear
ance of unrutfied oomposure. AS soon
as he had ended his harangue, loud
whoop burst from the assembled throng
and all made rush for the unfortunate
prisoner When they left him his ears
were gone and blood was streaming from
the cruel wounds.
A terrible scene of torture now began.
The warriors shot charges of powder
into his naked body. commencing with
the calves of his legs and continuing to
his neck. Three or four Indians by
turns would take up one of the burning
pieces of pole and apply the burning end
to his naked body, already burnt black
with powder. These tormentors pre-
sented themselves on every side Of him,
SO that whichever way he ran round the
post they met him with the burning
brands. Some of the squaws took broad
pieces of bark, upon which they could
carry quantity of burning Goals and
hot embers and threw on him, SO that
in short time he had nothing but Goals
of fire and hot ashes to walk upon.
In the midst Of these extreme tortures,
Crawford called to Girty and begged Of
him to shoot him through the heart.
''Don't you soc have no gun, Colonel
I'd 1
then turning to the Indian beside him
he uttered some brutal jests upon the
naked and miserable appearance of the
suffering prisoner and seemed delighted
at the horrid scene. The terrible scene
had now lasted more than two hours,
and Crawford had become very much OK
hausted. He walked slowly around the
stake upon his fiery pathway, and in a
low toEe OF voice earnestly besought God
to pardon all his sins and have mercy Oh
his soul. His nerves had lost much of
their sensibility and he no longer shrank
from the fire brands with which his tor
mentors touched him. At length he
sank in fainting fit upon his face and
lay motionlesS. Instantly an Indian
sprang upon his back, knelt lightly on
his knee, made a circular incsion with
his knife upon the crown of his head
and. clapping the knife between his
teeth, tore the s1aip off with both hands.
Scarcely had this been done than with
AVOID old HAD aupro, chp1 with a pio,a of
bark full of Goals and burning embers
and poured them upon the crown of his
head, now laid bare to the bone. The
Colonel groaned deeply, arose and again
walked slowly around tho stake. Nature
at length could endure no more and at
late hour in the evening he fell for the
last time.
ALLEGED DECAY OF THE PULPIT.
An eminent British scholar has writ
ten an elaborate treatise in which he sets
forth reasons for what he considers to be
the decline of the pulpit and the decay
of its influence over the people. Com |
pairing the power of the pulpit with what
it was century or two ago he sees it
somewhat shriveled and emasculated.-I
To a great oxtent he regards this as the
result of having a less efficient class of
men for clergymen than in former days. |
lie regards their training, both in intel
q