The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-02-08
HER BODY TORN In TWAIN.


A NEGRO OUTRAGED A FOUR-YEAR-
OLD GIRL AND MURDERED HER.
Ten Thousand People Gather to Torture
the Fiend With Red Hot Irons ana
Then Kill Him in Flames of Burn
ing Oil.
PARIS. Tex. Feb "A mob of angry
men and women, numbering 10000,
wreaked a most frightful vengeance OF
lynch law today upon Henry smith,
burly negro, who, with the tiendishness
of depraved brute, outraged and cru
ely murdered little 4-year-old Myrtle
Vance, Thursday.
Too powerful to resist they took the
prisoner from the guards, bringing MN
here, dragged him by q rope about ms
neck to the scene OF his crime, subjected
him to every conceivable torture, and
then burned the pitiable wretch at the
stake.
All the morning trains had brought
people by hundreds to the city, white
and black alike to, await the arrival OF
the guards who ere bringing the pris-
oner back from Texarkana, where he had
been captured. The country for miles
around has become wildly excited over
the atrocious crime and hunt Tor the
brute murderer was Instituted.
When the news came last night that
he had been caught and identified by
members of the Paris searching party,
the people seemed crazy with JOY and
thirsted for his life. BY trains and wag-
ons, on horse and afoOt, people piled IN
to the city. The mayor ordered the
liquor stores closed, unruly mobs dis
persed and schools closed.
Plans for a lynching bee were system
attic and buslnesSlike.
Story of the Crime.
Henry Smith, big bully negro, had
Thursday picked up little 4-year-old
Nv tile Vance near her fathers Police
man Henry vance, house, and quoting
her with candy, carried her through the
central portion of the city 70 Gibbons
pasture. Several people questioned him,
but to each he said he was carrying her
to the doctLr's.
At the pasture, after assaulting the
poor child, he took one little leg in each
hand and literally tore her in twain.
Then covering the body with leaves and
brush, he laid down ana slept calmly be-
side his victim throughout the night.
He went home, got his breakfast and
disappeared.
That day a mass meeting was called at
the court house and search parties sent
out to find the child. Her mangled body
was found and the whole town Joined in
pursuit OF the fend who had murdered
her. He was caught yesterday at Glow,
on the Arkansas and Louisiana railroad,
twenty miles north Of here. He denied
the crime, but blood stains Weresfound
on his clothes and later he confessed.
This morning he was brought TO Tex
arkana, where 5000 people had gathered
| eager to get at him. The Paris search
! ing party begged that he be noe molest-
| ed, News Travelled fast. EveryWht re
along the line, as the train bore the
wretch to Paris, morbid crowds gathered
to gaze upon him.
At the depot at Paris were 10000 PEG
| pie. Deputy sheritfs put up show OF
pistols, but were brushed aside and a
rush made for the car. A rope was
thrown around Smiths neck and he was
| dragged from the car. He was taken to
rude float, and borne through the city .
streets that people might gaze on The
monster.
On stretch of prairie out,Of the city
a scaffold had been built ten feet from
the ground and pest set in the center.
Here he was brought and securely bound.
His clothing was stripped to the waist
and he was turned over to the father OF
the dead child, who, with his son, aged
fifteen, and other relatives, began the
work of torture.
A timers furnace was placed on the
platform and with irons the excutioners
scared his body beginning at his feet
and working upward until not piece of
his body was untouched. His tongue
was burned, his eyes put out, and every
part of his body scared with fire.
He was then saturated with oil and
the space beneath the scaffOld filled with
combustibles and all fired. AS the flames
swarmed around his body, which appa-
rently hung lifeless in it's bonds, it gave
a conyulsiye s1udder, the head rose from
the breast and a broken, quaking wall OF
agony rang out over the bleak plains.
Presently the bonds burned and the
body toppIed forward on the burning
floor, where it Writhed and twisted; then
by supreme effort, rose, grasped rail-
lug and tore loose a remaining bond at
the feet, sank sitting on the edge Of the
platform, head and arms resting on the
rail, legs dangling over the side; ard then
after a moments pause, silppleu through
The frame to the ground, was thrust in
the cracking mass of fire below the
sca1oId, cIaWled out and was thrust
back again and covered lp with flaming