Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-23

merclless, too. AT the appointed time the
leader walked up to the negro, Embossed
him from tree TO which he was chained,
and announced that the sentence psssed
upon the prisoner was that he should be
burned alive AT the stake, and they were
about now to put it in execution. Throw
ldg one end of the chain over his shoulder
the judge walked of, the negro following
behind with grin on his face. 1t was af-
forwards heard that he said no white men
would burn up good property like him, as
he was worth too much money for that.
The fellow thought that after being Sc
Verely punished he would be run on and
sold in the Mississippi swamps, that was
done with all unconQuerable slaves. The
crowd followed behind. | securing place
close to the prisoner. There were num-
Der OF negroes also in the party, as the lar
mers thought this go0d time ana place
TO learn them a lesson. III his race had
any sympathy for the doomed man they
did not snow it by sign or word. He was
carried down hill, and a clearing near
branch was reached. Near the stream
was growing a little sapling, and ut this
the guard halted. The murderer was then
chained to this tree, and the spectators
asked To gather fagOts and pile around the
human offering on the shrine Of revenge.
only few lent helping hand. There
were several little children of the doomed
man, who hau followed the procession
from the yard. They saw the white peo-
pie gathering brush and pilrg them at
their daddy's feet, and inuOcently went to
work helping. Up to this time number
of white gentlemen present did not believe
that the mob would carry out their threat,
and hurriedly held consultation. 1t re-
suited in Col. Clark springing upon a
stump and begging The mob not to resort
to such brutality, but let the man be tried
and executed according to law. But Col
Clark was ordered to keep
his mouth closed, or he would
get into trouble himself. At
this time match was struck and the flu
neral pvre ignited. The fuel being very
dry ii at once blazed forth, and for the
first time the murderer realized his
doom. He cast most appealing
look at his tormenters and exclaimed
aloud:
"Great God, white folks, you amt goin'
ter burn man aliveY
He was answered with jeers, and fresh
fuel thrown on the blaze. | never want
to witness such another sight, for 1t
haunted me tor years afterwards. While
the negro did not speak again, l could see
that he WAS suffering all the agOnies of the
damned. The flames would raise great
bllsters on his flesh, when they would
burst. His body and limbs would brown
and wither. His cOntOrtiOns were hOrri-
bic. lie tried to tear himself loose from
the chains and would squirm and wrthe.
A sickening OdOr of burning flesh fOated
In the air. AT last all struggles ceased,
More brush were heaped around the now
dead body, and finally cremation began.
Limbs would burn or and tall 10 the
ground, the head dropped from the Shout
ders. until at length a pile OF charred
flesh was all that was left Of
a living human body. This
was raked up in heap with sticks,
and pine knots and chunks heaped there
on AT last it was supposed that every
thing was consumed but it is said that
the next day curious neighbOr passed
the spot and raking IN the ashes found
the heart still unburned He dug hole
at the root OF the tree and buried it..
This terrible lesson certainly had san
itary lesson on the negroes of our county,
for there had lately been several outrages
aud murders and they at once ceased; but
very few, if any, OF our better class of cit
liens endorsed the burning, ana it was a
source OF deep regret and modification to
them. To the credit OF Old Oglethorpe,
Will say that not a single man who had a
hand IN that outrage is now living in our
county. They are all dead or have moved
away, and it seems that curse has fol
lowed them through lie. They first lost
their property, and seemed to reap moth
ing but trouble and misery and disap-
pointment. the place where this negro
was burned has long borne the reputation
of being haunted, and have passed it at
all hours OF the day and night, and the
only thing that haunted me was the pic
ture Of that victim ut the stake, that Will
never leave my mind. Although | had no
hand in the burning, would have given
a round sam had | stayed away. That the
murderer deserved death no one will de-
ny. He belonged TO very smart, but
bad family Of negroes, one whom was
hanged, two shot and and killed while re-
sistinc arrest, and another, mere youth
murdered his own father. They are thin
ned out now, but a few of them yet live in
this county, but 50 Tar as / know, conduct
themselves well.