The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-15
BURNED At TIE STAKE.
Terrible Punishment Melted
Out by a Texas Mob.
Fate ofa Fiend Who Assaulted
and Killed a Baby.


and Killed a Baby.
Henry Smith, the colored man who as.
saulted and murdered Myrtle Vance, the
three-year-old daughter of Henry Vance OF
Paris, Texas, was burned to death at the
stake in that city, just five days after the
commission Of his crime, in the presence OF
IL, 900 persons.
When the telegram reached there from
County Attorney Sturgeon telling Of the ar.
rest of Smith at Ozon Ark. and asking for
protection, q committee Of twenty-five cit
izens left on special for Texarkana to meet
Mr.. Sturgeon. These citizan took charge
of Smith at $3.50 o'clock in the morning.
special car was placed at their disposal.
All along the route there were great
crowds. At Texarkana mob OF 1000 per-
sons had gathered around the railway Sta
tion when the train arrived. The guards
surrounded Smith, and with cooked revot
vers forced passage through the crowd to
a train in waiting to convey them to Paris.
The mob swarmed about the coach, on the
platforms, and upon the roof OF the coach,
and wanted to lynch Smith immediately.
District Attorney Birmingham then
mounted the. platform Of the coach and
made an impessioned appeal to the mob, ask.
inc them to respect the Law and leave the
authorities at Paris to deal with the man.
Smith seemed Indifferent to his fate at
FIRST, and could not be brought to understand
that fearful vengeacce would come upon
him. When he was told that his death was m
evitable, and would come by the most cruel
manner human ingenuity could devlse: ne
weakened and begged the officers to save
him. % 49,
BE first asked to be spared, and then
SOUGHT any other death than burning. He
was told that this was impossible. for the
people at a mass meeting had determined
on his fate. He said he wanted to be shot.
When the train pulled up at the Texas
Pacific station at Paris Texas, u, 600 persons
were there to receive him. Hundreds OF
people had poured into the city from the ad:
Joining country. The word had been passed
from lip to lip that death by fire was TO be
the penalty. Whisky shops we're CLOSED, un-
ruly nobs were dispersed, and schools were
dismissed, by a proclamation from the
Mayor. ~ nj
ingham Of the escort made q priet ADDRESS,
"FeIlow Citizens: There is not an officer
now on this train who has any control over
the prisoner. Henry Smith. Twenty-Five OF
your citizen went in reply to kilograms from
your County Attorney to meet him and see
that the prisoner was protected
and delivered here without in-
Jury. We have done that thing;
we have not deceived or misled you; we are
not officers, but merely citizsns; we have no
authority to hold this prisoner against you
or anyone, and shall make no effort to do So,
As citizens we merely wish to surrender tae
prisoner. We believe you will do what Is
right. Whatever may be done, let 1t be done
as the people Of Lamar County have done
everything, in law abiding, peaceable and
patriotic way. We cannot Il we would, re.
sist the thousands assembled here. The
prisoner has admitted bis guilt in the pres
enoe Of dozen good and true men. This is
Smith was placed upon q carnival aoat, in
mockery OF king upon his throne, and,
followed by the Immense crowd, was es.
corted through the city 80 that all might
see the monster. he was firmly lasned 70
the seat.
the square, around the square, down Clarks-.
v1ile street to Church street, thence to the
omen prairie about three hundred yards
from the Texas and Pacific station.
Here a scaffold ten feet high had been
erected. Around this was surging throng
for 15O wards in each direction. a cold,
drizzling rain was falling, that frozs as 1t
fell.
Smith was forced up the steps, where he
was pinned to stake. His coat and shirt
was torn of him, piecs by piece. when
stripped to the waist Henry vsnce, tde
father of Smiths victim, Vaucs's son and
two uncles Of the child gathered around Nun
and began to thrust red hot irons under his
FEET. Every coutortion Of his body and every
sroan that escaped his lips brought forth
shouts Of approval. .ssa
Vainly hs begged for mercy: vainly he
protested that he did not know that 1t was
Vance's child he killed. The red-hot irons
burned into his flesh deeper and deeper. DE
uttered terrible cries. Finally the irons
we're rolled up and down the abdomen and
on the back aud arms The crowd kept
shouting its approval to the torturers.
The climax was reached when the irons
were thrust into Smiths eyes, burning them
out. Then the irons were thrust DOWN ms
threat. The Vauces then declared their ven-
geancs satisfied.
Then combustible material was placed un-
der the scaffold, oil was poured over smith
and the platform, and a match applied. For
a time he was enveloped in smoke. As TINS
disappeared and the flames shot up Smith
was seen to sway back and forth.
To the surprise Of all, with desperate
struggle he pulled himself up by the railing
of the scaffold, stood up, passed his hand
over his face, and then jumped from tne
.caffold and rolled out Of the fire below. Mer
on the ground thrust him into the burning
mass again. and life became extinct
Then he became still, and all thought he
was dead. The fire burned the ropes that
bound him and he fell upon the burning
platform. He then began to roll about the
platform. It seemed impossible that any.
thing could live in that furnace.
Hundreds had turned away In horror
from the spectacle, but thousands shouted
with satisfaction and with demonstration
Of delight. People were present from every
part Of that section. They came from Dal.
las, Fort Worth, Sherman. Denison, Bon
ham, Texarkana, Fort Smith, .Arhadelphia,
and party came from Arkansas, where
Smith was captured. Every train that
came In was loaded to its utmost capacity.
There were demands at many points FOL
special trains At every country town
anvils and bells were sounded. People
poured in there in a constant stream all
night and day on horseback. After the
execution tho throng dispersed quietly.
The story Of Smiths crime is as follows
The big burly fellow pickle up little Myrtle
Vance, aged three and oue half years old,
near the house of her father, Henry Vance,
a policeman, and, giving her candy te
allay her fears carried her througn
the central part OF the city to
Gibbons pasture, just within tns cor
porate limits. Arriving at toe pasture ne
with inhumauity too terrible to rslate, hrst
viciously assaulted the innocent babe, ana
,r 10 nd a