The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-02
Him and Set Fire To.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.

h"ibA VI AiiiS ny OCdbu dI TIE STAKE. Ever
since the preparation of his awful crime
this city and the entire surrounding
country has been in wild frenzy of eX-
element. When the news came last
night that he had been captured at Hope,
Arkansas, and identified, the city was
wild with joy over the apprehension of
the brute. Hundreds of people poured
into the city from the adjoining country,
and the word was passed from lip to lip
that the punishment of the fiend should
be death by fire.
The whisky shops were closed, unruly
mobs were dispersed, schools dismissed
by proclamation from the Mayor, and
everything done in a business-like man
ner. The law was laid aside, and the
citizens took into their own hands the in
human beast and burned him at the
stake. Never before since the days of
the Spanish inquisition has there been
such terrible punishment melted out to
any man.
The history of the crime is as follows:
Thursday last Smith picked up little
Myrtle Vance, aged three and a half
years, near her fathers policeman Henry
vance, residence, and carrying her to
pasture near the outskirts of the city. first
viciously assaulted the innocent babe.
and after satisfying his fiendish passion
took one little limb in each hand and
literally tore her in twain. Then cover
ing the body with leaves and brush he
lay down and slept calmly through the
night by the side of his victim Friday
morning Smith went to the house of his
wife and forced her to cook him a break
fast. After eating it he left town.
The childs remains were found Friday
afternoon, and when the news of the
atrocious crime spread the whole town
turned out in the chase. The railroads
put up bulletins Offering free transporta-
ton to all who would join in the search.
Posses went out in every direction, and
not stone was left unturned. Smith
was tracked to Detroit on foot, where he
jumped a freight train and left for his old
home in Arkansas. Yesterday he was
captured near Hope, Ark, and was fully
identified.
This morning he was brought through
Texarkana, where 5000 people awaited
the train, anxious to see the man who
should receive the fate of Ed Gov. At
the place speeches were made by promi-
nent Paris citizens, who asked that the
prisoner be not molested by Texarkana
people, but that the guard be allowed to
deliver him up to the outraged and in
dignant citizens of Paris. Along the
road the train gathered strength from the
various towns, people crowding upon
the platforms and tops of coaches to see
the lynching of the negro who was so
soon to be delivered to an infatuated mob.
Arriving here at II O'Clock the train was
met by a surging mass of humanity
10000 strong. The negro was placed
upon carnival float in mockery of a
king upon the throne, and, followed by
an immense crowd, was escorted through
the city so that all might see the in
human monster.
When the procession had marched.
through the principal streets it halted in
an open prairie about 800 yards from
the Texas and Pacific depot. Here
Smith was placed upon scaffold six feet
square and ten feet high. securely bound.
within view of all beholders.
Here he was tortured for fifty minutes
by redhot iron brands thrust against his
quivering body. Commencing at the
feet, the brands were placed against him
inch by inch until they were thrust
against his face.
Words to describe the awful torture in
fiicted upon Smith cannot be found. The
story appals one with its fearful, awful
terror. The negro. for long time after
starting on his journey to Paris. did not
hi r,linbt
told he must die the most awful death by
slow torture that human mind could con-
ceive of, he begged for protection. He
was willing to be shot, and wanted Mar
shall Shanklin of Paris to do it. but was
told that he was to be burned to death.
His agony was awful. He writhed and
pleaded in mental and bodily pain in
anticipation.
Scarcely had the train reached Paris
than the torture commenced. His clothes
were torn off by piecemeal and scattered
in the crowd, the people catching shreds
and putting them away as 1nementoes
The child's father, her brother and two
uncles then gathered about the negro as
he was fastened to the torture platform
and thrust hot irons into his ouiverino
flesh. II was horrible. This man was DIVING
by slow torture in the midst of smoke
from his own burning flesh. Every
groan from the wretch, every contortion
of his body was cheered by the thiclSlv
packed crowd of 10000 people. The mass
of beings was six hundred yards in di-
ameter, the scaffold being in the center.
After burning the feet and legs, the hot
irons were rolled up and down Smiths
stomach, back and arms. Then the ewes
were burned out and the irons thrust
down his throat. The men of the Vance
family having wreaked vengeance. the
crowd piled all kinds of combustible stuff
around the scaffold, poured oil on it and
set it afire. The negro rolled. and wrig-
gled and tossed out of the mass, only to
be pushed back by the people nearest
him. He tossed out again, and was roped
and pulled back. Hundreds of people
turned away, but the majority of the vast
crowd looked calmly on.
People were here from every part of
this section. Every train that came in was
loaded to its utmost capacity, and there