Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-02
BURNED ALIVE.
Terrible Retribution to Henry Smith for
Hts Crime.

Terrible Retribution to Henry Smith for
Hts Crime.
Henry Smith. alias Bob Dowery, the negro who
so fendisbly abused and murdered Myrtle
Vance, the four-year-old daughter OF Henry
Vance. on the night of January 6, was burned
to death at the stake ct Paris, Tex, yesterday,
as the dispatches to yesterdays STAR indicated
was likely. The mob was composed Of men who
are considered the best representatives in the
community Of law, oder and justice. There
was no doubt of the negro's guilt as he con-
fessed early in the day and abandoned all hope
of escaping with his life. 1t was not, however,
until the train from Texarkana, where he was
captured had got well on its way that he was
told the manner in which he was to die. He
weakened then and begged an officer to pro-
tect him. When told that he must die he re-
lated the details Of his horrible crime. He said
that he was drunk.
BEGGED TO BE SHOT.
The negro was a picture Of misery and tears
as the train drew into Paris. He begged
piteously to be shot, but said he didn't want
Vance to shoot him. Every holsetop was
mass Of people. wagon had been prepared,
but Smith had to be carried to it. for he suf-
fered q complete collapse as the train came to
standstill. On large cotton float box had
been placed on which was chair. In this
the negro was securely bound. He was driven
slowly around the public square, thence to the
place OF death Gu. on the bare prairie a scat
fold had been built Four upright pieces sup
ported ten feet above the ground a platform
ten feet square. In its center strong post was
set and braced on either side As the wagon
approached Henry Vance, father Of Smiths
victim. appeared on the platform and formally
asked the crowd for vengeance. Smith was
carried mp flight of steps to his
awful doom. He stripped to the
waist and placed against the stake.
He was then securely bound and delivered over
to Vanees vengeance. A timers furnace was
brought and filed with irons heated white
Taking one. Vance thrust it under first one and
then the other Of the victims feet. The negro
writhed as the flesh peeled from the bone
Slowly. inch BY inch. up his legs the iron was
drawn, till it reached his stomach. Then the
wretch broke silence for the first time with
scream that could be heard a mile. Slowly
across and around the body upward traced the
irons. BY turns Smith screamed, begged.
PRAYED and cursed. When his face w.s reached
his tongue was silenced by fire and thenceforth
he only moaned or gave a cry that echoed over
the prairie like the wall Of a wild animal.
Then his eyes we're put out. There was not an
inch on his body that was not SCARED now and
his rerciless executioners gave way. There
were three Of these, Vance, his ffteeu-year son
and his brother-in-law.
THE TORCH APPLIED.
When they were through they left the plat
form. Smith and the scaffold were saturated
with coal oil, the space below filed with COM
bustibles and fire applied to his feet and the
stack below. A sleeting rain had begun to fall,
and against the dark. ieeden sky the platform
loomed bare aad gaunt. Above 1t stood the
negro. his head dropped on his breast Tho
crowd believed him dead. They were deceived.
for slowly the head raised and q moan escaped
his lips. Then the cords burned away and he
raised the b,ackened stumps of his hands to
wipe his sightless sockets, topping forward
upon the platform He lay there writhing and
trying to get the only foot yet bound free.
With supreme effort he reached up and
caught the railing and tore the bound leg loose
and stood Keeling on the stumps Of his feet
He dragged himself up against the railing
and then dropped. sitting on the burning
platform with his legs hanging over Then by
another effort he slipped of the platform and
fell to the ground. He lay there still, but was
quickly thrust into the fiery furnace below,
from which he crawled out. only to be thrust
back again and the debris Of the Ore piled over
him. Thus death came to Henry Smith
Every scrap Of his clothing was sough. by
relic hunters, and when all was over fragments
Of his bones were carried away also. Before
arriving at Paris Smith asked that copies of the
papers giving an account OF his execution be
sent TO his mother at Nashville. Ark He was
born in Little Rock. Ark, and came to Paris
seven years ago. Five years ago he was sus-
pected Of the murder OF Q ten-yeer-old girl
found dead in an alley az Sherman Tex, but q
case could not be made against him.
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