St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-02
BURNEDAT the STAKE
Little Myrtle Vanee's Brutal
Ravisher Pays the Penalty
Of His Crime.
Every Torture Human lnge-
nuity Codld Invent Wis.,
tied on the Monster.
[nflammables Piled Around
Him, Saturated With Oil
and Fired.
History Of One Of the Most
Brutal Deeds in the An
mails OF Crime.

udlS Vi OtIIilOs
PARIS. Tex. Feb. Henry Smith,
the negro ravsher Of four-year-old
Myrtle Vance, has eXpiated in part his
awful crime by death at the stake.
Ever since the preparation of his awfnl
crime this city ana the entire surround
ing country has been in wild frenzy of
excitement When the deWs came last
night that he had been captured at
Hope. Ark, that he had been Identified
by b. Is. Sturgeon, James L. Hicks and
many others of the Paris searching
party, the city was wild with JOY over
the apprehension of the brute. Hun
dreds of people poured into the
city from the adjoining country
and the word passed from lip
to lip that the punishment
of the tiend should fit the crime-that
death by fire was the penalty Smith
should pay for the most atrociouS MUIR
der and terrible outrage in Texas his
tory. Curious and ympathizing alike
came on train, i'll wagons, OH horse and
foot, 10 see if the frail mind Of man
could think of way to sufficiently pun
ish the perpetrator of so terrible a
crime. Whisky shops were closed, I'M
ruiy mobs were dispersed, schools were
dismissed by a proclamation of the
mayor and everything was done in a
businesS-like manner. Officers saw the
futility of any effort to Quell the almost
riot. So law was laid aside, and the
citizens took into their own hands the
inhuman beast and
Burned E1iIn at the stake.
Never before since the days of the
Spanish inquisition. when cruelty was
law, has there been such terrible punish
ment meted out to any man, Dnt so hor-
Tible was the crime in Its magnitude, so
inhuman, SO CHASTITY, that the punish
ment 50 severe that was inflicted upon
him is Infinitely small in comparison.
The History Of the Crime
is as follows: On Thursday last, Henry
Smith, big and buTly negro, picked up
little Myrtle Vance, aged three and one
half years, near her fathers, Policeman
Henry Vance's, residence, and, giving
her candy to allay her fears, carried her
through the central portion of the city
to Gibbons pasture, just within the
corporate limits. En- route through the
city he was asked by several persons
what he was doing with the child. He
replied that she was Mr.. Williams little
girl, and be was carrying her to the
doctor. Arriving at the pasture men
toned, he, with inhumanty too ter
rible to relate, first Viciously
assaulted the innocent babe, and, salts
flying his iiendIsh passion, took one lit
tie limb in each hand and literally tore
her in twain. Theu, covering the body
with leaves and brush, he Law down and
slept calmly through the night by the
side of his victim. About o'clock
Friday morning Smith awakened, went
to the house of his wife and forced her
to cook him some breakfast. She asked
him what had become of that white
child, and he replied: 81 amt seen no
damn white chile. and don't have moth,
ing to do with no damn white folkS.'
After deliberately eating his breakfast
he left, and was not seen any more until
his capture. About o'clock Friday a
mass meeting was called at the court
house, and captains were appointed to
search for the child. She was found,
mangled beyond recognition, covered
with leaves and brush, as above men
toned. AS soon as it was learned, upon
recovery of the body, that the crime
was so atrOciOuS
The whole Town Turned Out
in the chase. The railroads put up bull
letins Offering free transportation to all
who would Join in the search. Posses
went out in every direction, and not a
stone was left unturned. Smith was
tracked TO Detroit on foot, where he
jumped on freight train and left for
his old home in Hampstead county,
Arkansas. To this county he was
tracked, and yesterday captured at
Glow, flag station Oh the Arkansas Il
Louisiana railway, about twenty miles
north of Hope. Upon being questioned
the liend denied everything. but upon
being stripped for examination his un-
der garments were seen to be spattered
with blood, and part of his shirt was
torn off. He was kept under heavy
guard at Hope last night, and later Oh
confessed the crime. This morning lie
was brought through TeXarkana, where
5000 people awaited the train anxious
to see man who should receive the
fate of Ed Coy. At that place speeches
were made by prominent Paris citizens
who asked that the prisoner be Anot
molested by TeXarkana people. but that
the guard be allowed to deliver him up
TO the outraged and indignant citizens
of Paris. Along the road the train
gathered strength from the various
towns, the people croWding upon the
platforms and tops of coaches, anxious
to see the lYnching and the negro who
was so soon to be delivered to an infuri-
ated mob. Arriving here at II o'clock.
the train was met by a SURFING crowd of
humanity, 10000 strong. The negro was
placed upon carnival float in mockery
of king upon his throne, and followed
by the immense crowd, was escorted
through the city so that all might see
the
Most InhumaF Monster known
in current history. The line of march
was up Main street TO the square.
around the square and down GAINESVILLE
street TO Church street; thence to the
omen prairie, about 800 yards from the
Texas q Pacific depot. Here Smith was
placed upon Scaffold six feet square
and ten feet high, securely bound, with.
in the view of all behOlders. Here the
victim was tortured for fifty minutes
by red-hot 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 the face. Then, being appar-
emily dead, kerosene was poured
upon him, cottonseed hulls placed
beneath him, and set on fire.
in less time than it takes to relate it