Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-02-16
THE WORK OF FIENDS
TORTURES OF NEGRO SMITH
DESCRIBED.
A CoIored Preacher Who Attempted TO
prevent the Torture Knocked Down
and Ridden on Rail by tho Infrri'
ated Mob-A Terrible Sccue.

NEW York, Feb. Is The Rev j. r.
King of Texas, whose report of the
lynching of the negro Smith at Paris,
Texas brought about the formation Of
the Anti.Lynching League at the Union
Colored Methodist Church in West
Thirty-second Street, barely escaping
death himself in his efforts to save the
prisoner. lie has como North to start
crusade against negro lyncing.
To reporter the Rev. Mr.. King said
in regard to the lyncing of Smith:
81 was ridden out of Paris on rail
because was the only man in Lamar
county to raise my voice against the
lynching of Smith. opposed the il
legal measures before the arrival OF
Henry Smith as prisoner, and was
warned that might meet his fate if
was not careful, but the sense of JUS
tice made me bold, and when / saw
the poor wretch trembling with fear
and got so near him that could hear
his teeth chatter, determined to stand
by him to the last.
II hated him for his crime, but two
crimes do not make virtue, and in
the brief conversation had with Smith
was more firmly convinced than ever
that he was irresponsible.
81 followed the procession and wept
aloud as / saw little children of my
own race follow the unfortunate man
and taunt him with jeers. Even at
the stake children of both sexes and
colors gathered in groups, and when
the father of the murdered child raised
tho Kissing iron with which he was
about to torture the helpless victim
, the children became as frantic as the
grown people and struggled forward
to obtain places of advantage.
1T was terrible. One little tot
scarcely older than little Myrtle Vance
clapped her baby hands as her father
held her on his shoulders above the
heads of the people.
For Gods saken l shouted, send
the children home
mo, no. shouted a hundred mad
dened voices; let them learn lesson
81 love children, but as | looked
about the little faces distorted with
passion and the blood-shot eyes of tho
cruel parents who held them high in
their arms / thanked God that ! have
none of my own.
., 'As the hot iron sunk deep into
poor Henry's flesh u hideous yell rent
the air, and, with sound as terrible
as the cry of lost soals on the judg-
ment day, 20, 00D maddencd people took
up the victims cry of agony, and
prolonged howl of maddened glee rent
the air.
mo one was himself now, Every
man, woman and child in that awful
crowd was worked up to greater
frenzy than that which actuated
Smiths horrible crime. The people
were capable of any new atrocity now
and as Smiths yells became more and
more frequent it was difficult to hold
the crowd back, so anxious We're the
savages to participate in the sickening
tortures.
For half an hour | tried to pray, rs
the beads of agony rolled down my
forehead and bathed my face
Suddenly Smith, forgetful of his
agony, called with all his might: God
forgive them and me.
"For an instant hush spread over
the people. | could stand no more,
and with a superhuman effort dashed
through the compact mass of human
ity and stood at the burning scaffold
In the name of God / cried, Il com
mand you to cease this torture
''The heavy butt of a Winchester
rifle descended on my head and / fell
to the ground. Rough hands seized
me and angry men bore me away, and
l was thankful.
sat the outskirts of the crowd was
attacked again, and then several men,
no doubt glad to get away from the
fearful place, escorted me to my home,
where was allowed to take small
amount of clothing. A jeering crowd
gathered without, and when / APP
peared at the door ready hands seized
me and l was placed upon rail and
with curses and oaths taken to tho
railway station and placed upon a
train. AS the train moved out some
one thrust roll of bills in my hand
and said: God bless you, but it was