River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-29
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BURNED To DEATA
The Terrible Pate Met by Negro Tur-
derer AT the Hands OF AN Angry 1iob i'm
Texas.

The Terrible Pate Met by Negro Iur-
derer AT the Hands OF an Angry 1iob i'm
Texas.
QUEEN CRY. Tex. Oct. 27.-The
negro, Lee Green. who murdered the
wife and child of Farmer Law. Z
miles from this place. on Saturday. was
on Monday burned at the stake in
sight of the scene of his donble crime
Before he died he confesse the mur-
ders and said that he committed the
crime for the money So. which he OBJ
tanned
Green was captured sunday night by
"a posse and taken To the jail at Linden.
He was caught near Kildare after some
resistance, but when he found he was
TO go To Jail accompanied the officers
without making any trouble. Monday
morning at o'clock crowd appeared
about the Jail and demanded the keys
The jailer's wife refused at first to
give them up, but yielded finally to
the threats of the determined men.
Green was hastily taken from his cell
and put on horse and closely guarded
as he was conveyed TO the house of
Farmer Law. No attempt to harm
him was made as the men seemed de
termined tn make no possible mistake.
Upon the arrival of the crowd and
the negro at the house of the farmer
the negro was turned over to Mr.. Law
and the crowd drew back recognizing
the right of the bereaved 10 take his re-
venge. Green was led by Law TO the
side of the well in which had been
found the bodies of the woman and
her daughter The hearth broken man
asked the negro if he had committed
the crime and Green confessed IT, He
said that he approached Mrs. Green
as she was bending over waShtub and
struck her over the head with heavy
stick which he carried. lie had
not at first intended to kill her
but fearing he had done so took up the
body to throw it into the well when
the 7-year-old daughter of the woman
began Co scream. He threw the body
of the mother down the hole and then
beat out the brains OF the child and
dropped the second body as he had the
first.
A little 4-year-old boy ran up from
the yard and began to cry as he discov-
desperation and determined TO leave
no possible chance for discovery, the
young negro grasped tie boy and
dropping him into the well threw the
tubs and washboard after him, expect
ing that the child would be killed by
them. Green then robbed the house,
securing $50. and started to escape,
stealing a horse from neighbor
When the confession had been made
Mr. Law turned the negro over to the
guards and retired into the house aud
entered into a consultation with his
neigh bors, who made up the principal
portion of the crowd. They did not
constitute all of it. however. for all
day long there had been arriving at the
plantation groups of men, white and
black, from all parts of this and adjoin-
ing counties
Shortly after noon Mr. Law told the
leaders of the mob to take Green ont
and lynch him. They in turn yielded
to the strong solicitations of the col
ored men who made mp a great por-
tion of the party AMI told the latter
that they could wreak on him fitting
punishment The consultation be-
tween them was not protracted. There
was little need of it. and at 2:30 o'clock
Green was led out to the side of the
road and placed against tree and a
log-chain twisted about his neck and
body TO mold him in an erect position
Immediately forty-six negro men
began TO pile about the tree mass of
fagots. The Young fiend saw that his
fate was at hand and began to beg for
mercy and ven with terror. mum Der
of aged negresses had collected and
their chants, mingled with the stronger
ones of the men WHO were construct
ing the funeral pYre. made a wierd
scene. One. an itenerant preacher, be-
gan to pray. In: his voice was lost in
the din. he could not make himself
heard and the young ruiIian who stared
death in the face received no consola-
ton from the supplication Suddenly an
OH negress walked ont of the throng
which had drawn back as the pile
had been completed and touched a
match to the light wood In a moment
the smoke and flames began to arise.
The cries of the dying man. encircled
by them. became fainter and fainter.
and in a few minutes his soul had
passed to eternity not ffty-four hours
behind those of his victims.
The crowd which witnessed the
burning of the murderer mum bered
about 1000 and was made up about
equally OF whites and blacks.