The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-02-07
BURNED At THE STAKE.
A Negro Who Committed ;
Most Astrocious Murder
Over Forty Years
Ago.

negro was burned at the stake at
Georgetown, this county, under cir
cumstances which were almost az re-
voting as that which few days ago
in Texas shocked the entire civilized
world. The BAzoo does not give this
terrible leaf from the history Of the
past as a news item, but merely as a
reminiscence of a day when Missouri
had not reached her present status as
a people who, above all things, believe
in uphol,ling the laws, and as peculiar.
" appropriate in connection with the
Texas case.
Forty-one years ago there lived on
Heath's creek at the place once owned
by Alb. Harvey, a family by the
name of Raines. 1t consisted of MIR.
and Mrs. Raines and two children,
one about tour and the other about
two years of age. Mr.. and Mrs.
Raines were noted for their hospital
ity, and particularly for their
KINDNESS TO THE NEGRO SLAVES,
who, when put on short rations al
home, and nearly starved, would 60
over to "Massa Johns, and would al
ways get something to eat.
Another family lived in the neigh
borhood by the name Of France; they
lived on what is now known as the
Lower farm. This family, though
wealthy, were regarded as
BAD PEOPLE.
They would kill their neighbors
stock and would lash their slaves I'm.
mercifully, and would almost starve
them to death. The family, all grown,
were feared generally throughout the
neighborhood.
The Frances owned a negro man
named Sam, who is the subject of this
sketch.
Mr.. Raines and Mrs. Raines were
strict church attendants, and this was
known generally. Mrs. Raines' con-
dition was 80 delicate that she could
not attend, but it did not deter her
husband, who
LEFT HER AND THE CHILDREN At
HOME,
to be gone few short hours to SER
vice, on a beautiful Sunday morn
ing, little knowing or suspecting that
he would never again see the loved
face of his wife in life: but such was
the case.
Young France was also at the
church, and his uneasy actions and
frequent turnings and twistings, get
ting up and going out, attracted the
attention OF several, who remarked
"there must be
SOMETHING THE MATTER
with Shepherd France" He knew q
terrible tragedy was being enacted
near by, that would leave that devoted
husband wifeless and two little child
rem motherless.
The services over, Mr.. Rainus got
upon his horse and started home. He
was an intelligent man and clear of
superstition, but stated that
ABLACK PAIL
arose before his eyes when within a
mile or two of home, and he was sur
rounded by inky darkness, and a terri
BILE presentiment took possession of
his mind. He put spurs to his horse
and rapidly galloped home. When
he neared the wOOd-pile his horse be-
gan to scare. Closer inspection Of the
cause proved to he the
CORPSE OF HIS LOVED WIFE,
lying weltering in her own blood sur
rounded by hogs, which were eating
of the blood, but had not touched the
body. The poor man wasgrief strick-
en-, and stood like one paralyzed or
rooted to the ground. He could not
comprehend, at first the terrible Gala
maty that had overtaken him. His
little four year old hoy had been left
for dead, but had resuscitated, and
was sitting upon the fence near by.
The father screamed to him, ''in the
name of God
''wHo MURDERED YOUR MOTHER
The little boy lisped out: Frances
Sam killed mama and me too AZ
soon as Mr.. Raines could recover his
almost lost senses, he carried his dead
wife into the house and laid her down
and strange to say, the stains of her
blood can he seen to this dayupon the
hoor-took his two little children and
left them at his brother-in-laws, who
was also a France, and started for an
Oficer-Frank Spinkles-who lived
FIVE or six miles of. The officer re.
sponded and soon the whole country
was