Democratic messenger., 1893-02-04
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
Friyhtful IsctributiOn For - Ne
gro lsavishcr.
BURNED OUT HIS EYES.
Poured Coal Oil Over Him and
Roasted Him at the Stake.

PARIS. Ten. Feb. e.-Henry
Smith. the negro who ravished
and murdered the 4 ycar-old
daughter OF Henry Vance, of
this city. last Thursday night,
has expiated his terrible crime
by burning at the stake.
His was. perhaps, the most
horrible death ever inflicted
upon a human being. Those
witnessing it will not forget
the scene in all its indescriba-
bic horrors. But the monster
had committed a crime that
had no parallel in history. OF
all the 5000 people who
witnessed the awful spectacle
not one ever saw the like
before, or wishes to see its
repetition.
CITIZENS TOOK CHARGE OF HIM.
When the telegram reached
here yesterday from County
Attorney Sturgeon. bringing
news of the arrest of Smith at
Ozon. Ark. and asking for
protection. a committee Of IS
citizens left on a special train
for TeXarkana to meet Mr..
Sturgeon. and escort the
negro here. The citizens took
charge of Smith on the arrival
in Texarkana of the Iron
Mountain train at s. so this
morning. A special car was
placed at the dispasal of the
Paris people who took charge
of the negro and brought him
to this place, arriving here at
O'Clock this afternoon. All
along the route great numbers
of people were congregated
at every depot to get a glimpse
of the fiend. and insisted that
he be shown to them.
OUAILED BEFORE HIS FATE.
Smith seemed Indifferent
about his fate at first. and
could not be brought to
understand the fearful ven
geance to be wreaked upon
him. When he was told and
brought to realize that his
death was inevitable and that
he must die by the most cruel
manner human ingenuity could
devise. he weakened and
begged the officers to save
him. He asked to be spared
his life and given any other
punishment. This he was told
was impossible. as the people
were determined to have his
life.
He was asked how he pre-
ferred to die. He answered
that he wanted to be shot,
When asked if he was willing
for Vance to shoot him, he
said he was not and asked
that City Marshall Shanklin
do that. He was told that
Shanklin could not and would
not. His next choice Of his
executioner was Mayor Cate.
He finally asked that Colonel
c. NJ. Ragland be allowed to
shoot him;but the mode Of his
death was already agreed
upon-he must die at the
stake.
NET BY 5000 AVENGERS.
When the train pulled up at
the Texas Pacific. from 1900
to 10000 people were there
to take charge of him, and
every preparation had been
made TO receive him.
PINNED THE WRETCH TO A STAKE
Smith was then taken to a
wagon and placed on a chair
on top of box and firmly
lashed to it. He was then
driven to the public square
and around it, and through
the principal streets and to
an open field where a scaffold
10 feet high had been erected
The covering. shrinking
wretch was taken from the
wagon and forced up the
steps, where he was pinned
to a stake.
When Smith had been strip.
ped to the waist Henry Vance
the father of Smiths victim,
his son and two uncles of the
child. gathered around hin
and began to thrust red-ho
irons under his feet. Every
contortion of his body ano
every groan that escaped his
lips brought forth shouts o