The Dawson journal., 1886-09-09
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
Inc Awful Fate Of Georgia Slave
Before the War.

burning before the war of negro
murderer:
In conversation with Uncle Jer-
ry Thomas, an old and esteemed
resident of this place, he said: 81
was reading recently the partlcu-
lars OF the burning of a negro ra-
plst alive in Alabama, with all
hendish tortures imaginable. 1t
vividly brought to my mind an
affair that | witnessed right here
IN this country quarter of CEN
tury ago, the recollection of which
haunts my memory. One of the
best citizens of Oglethorpe was
brutally murdered in most
treacherous manner by negro.
The murderer escaped, but cs
soon as the news of the deed
reached the ears of the neighbors,
hundreds Of excited men were on
the trail. The fellow was fount,
in shuck pen and dragged forth
from his place of concealment.
At the time there lived in our
county several cruel and desper-
ate men, who had plenty of money
and feared neither God nor the
devil. Into their hands, unfortu-
nately, this negro fell. For three
days he was kept in an old out
house, and the most horrible tor
lures inflicted upon HIM. He was
even whipped with hair saws, and
it is said his tormentors poured
spirits of turpentine on his wounds
to add to his suffering. The ne
gro was very stubborn and cour-
ageous, and was insolent to the
end. 1t seemed impossible to
break his spirit, and this fact only
enlaged his captors the more.
The most horrible stories were
told of the cruelties inflicted upon
the negro, but of them l knew
nothing, until the news spread
over the country like wildfre that
on an appointed day tLemurderer
would be burned alive.
"Hhere is always a mysterious
attraction in such horrors for the
masses, and when [ reached the
scene of the murder [ found the
highway filed with men going to
witness the death of a human being
by FIRE the most painful and hor-
rible of all methods Of death. But
all of those parties did not come
to satisfy their thirst for the hor-
rible, but their motives were of a
higher older, and their mission
was to try to persuade the mob to
let the law take its course. The
late Hon. Zach Clark was the
leader among this law-abiding
class. But it was like beating
straws against cyclone to try
and stay the vengeance Of the Wig
| ilantes. The murdered man was
one of Oglethorpe's honest and
popular citizens, and even those
who would not take a hand 10 the
burning felt no disposition to in-
terfere.
"The sable prisoner was chained
in the yard, and while his face
bore evidence of much suffering
and tortures through which he
had passed, there was resolute,
defiant look on his face that show
ed that he was not cowed. This
loss the negro much sympathy
A half dozen men had taken upon
themselves the management oi
the entire matter, and they were
cold-bloodcd and merc;less. Al
the appointed time the leader
walked up to the negro, lnloosend
aim from the tree to which he was
chained, and announced that the
sentence passed upon the prison
or was that he should be burned
alive at the stake, and they were
about now to put the sentence IN
to execution. Throwing one end
of the chain over his shoulder, the
iudge walked of, the negro fol-
lowing behind with a grin on his
black face. 1t was afterward SAID
:. that he said no white man would
burn good property like him, as
he was worth too much money tol
that. The fellow thought after
being severely punished he would
be run off and sold in the Mlssls'
! sippi swamps, as was done all un,