Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-02-02
BURNED ALIVE
Horrible Fate Of q
C0lOred Fiend.
Henry Smith, Who
Killed a Child.
Is Tortured to Death
With Hot Irons
In a Liquid Fire of
Burning Oil.
The Terrible Revenge
Of "a Father.
Sickening Spectacle
Of Anguish.
The Victim Ciings to Lifc
After His Eyes Are
Burned Out and the
Flesh Drops From
His Bones
Sickening Spectacle
of Anguish.

PARIS. Tex. Feb. l.-fienry Smith.
the negro Who 90 hrutsliy outraged
aud murc cred little Myrtle Vance on
the night of January 20. Was ioriured
to death here today IN the presence of
10000 people. Henry Vance. father OF
The dead child. he l5-year-oid son and
his brother-in-law acted ne execution
ers Before reaching this city. tho
negro made q full confession. though
he declared that he had but an inde-
Unite recollection of The outrage and
murder. and whisky was rssponsl bic.
lie was met At IexArkana by dele
CATION Of citizens from THE place aud
brought hack by them. though nomi-
nally ne was in the custody OF ofsscers
OF the Law. On his way he Was told
that he would be shown no mercy and
that hls death would be by fre. Then
he weakened and begged pitously 20
be shot, asking that his sxeeutiousr he
someone el.e besides his mortal enemy,
Henry Vance, whose child he had
killed more for splrlt of revenge than
from lust.
When the train pulled IN n, the de-
pot here. every housetop and every
vacant space rs far a. the eve could
reach wac lined with people. aud IN All
the multitude there Was nobody 10 so-
vocate mercy for the wretch. who ~as
90 terrified that be had 10 be helped
from the car. Ths caused delay and
the crowd became restless.
Lamar County Ds~. II
The Hoo. y. W. Birmingham sp.
pesred on the platform and sddreeed
the people. rayirg. "Feilow- c iizcn.,
there ~ rot an officer on The train Who
has any control over the prisoner.
Henry Smith. Twenty-Five of ruur
citizens went in reply 10 teiegram
from your county attorney C meet
him and see that me frs rer uas pro-
tecled and delivered here without in-
Jury. We ave done that thing We
nave net deceived or misled sDu. We
are MT officers. hut ca zen- only. We
have no authority 10 hold tn. prisoner
against vou OF suyooe and snail make
no effort TO % A.. ks citizens Nc
msrsiv wsh 20 surrender the PRISONER.
We leave so you 70 90 what 10 right
and proper ia your slgnt. Nhstever -
done. let Il be done ss the people OF
lamar county, everything oraefly.
qaletly aud pefcesby. We cannot. n
we would. reslst tie thousands here.
The pr;s sntr las admitted bfs guilt "a
The presence OF txeive good and trne
men. TINS ls al we can say
Pfi0r 10 the arrival 0f the train, On
some manifestation % ievity 30 the
crowd. tne Hon. J. G. Hodges made
short address. saying that tne people 20
Lamar county and their ne xhbofs nsd
assembled O. discharge one ~ tn-
most solemn duties ever executed ~
people, whether IN ibcif DSn tight cf
nv tne arm of lie isv Here the rso-
PIE. borrlflcd by crime 90 srocieus
that the human hrs3n could hardly
conceise ifs enormifs. and cnly tse
| most derraved could have s.ecutcd ~.
had resolved upon . punishment con.
sufnmste 90 tue ofense. Iney hs9
gathered. not hy sfe.lih.s not
~ night. hut IN open dsF. They
had set ssde the lsv of tne statute
and IN the ssscution Of their decree
shcnlt preserve that orderly eniss src
l 1er0fone nfttHat ~ ta-3s~xtr<* en4
the occasion.
To sh~ Place - rr~~.ss~s.
To- snch sp ertfsme vas the desire 20
~resk vengeance on the doomed negro
granted. thsf the spi1rs ci~ilirc1
.nrid nay ssnd ashsst 81 the manner
of hls erecuflon. II vas DO gponfso~-
ous aftsir. fut had besn carefully
. pisnn.o and vss executed N its nost
ssfsllinr details "a manner caico.
. lstsf 20 rersil ne days Of the inQosi'
fiur.
. When the train hesrine the con-
oemnef nsffo arrived nef only rvefF
rssr1btr Of tie oo1nmprify ves "a
, psfssx ~ she cepci to receive hirn snd
. attend ia ssecuilon. hct therr ysfe
feonssuds fstheffd tfofn al trrtt
, sitiln rsdies of lo9 niles ~ fafis.
>rsiths appearances vss gresiea ~sn
I'D cheers 7ters s<s ~ sfnrt -
sunrnaf - dissort ~ tirn. a 49,.
| i.nEsrng deets s-sftsd -. rD.ch.
faf dosrfirHt teTt1ft, trds =
!. =.