The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-11-02
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
Horrible Torture Of a Negro Fiend in a
Texas Town. -.


Texas Town.
= TYLER, Tex, Set: 29.-AIrs. Leonard
Bell, the 18=year-old wife of a farmer,
who. had been: visiting her mother,
started to walk home, half mile, last
evening. On the way she passed gin,
where men were working. Soon after
ward her mutliated body was found
quarter of a mile, sfrdm her: home at
the side of the eread. NtThea,e was evi-
dence CT 9 terrible struggle, the body
being almost; nude. The ,fiend, after
assaulting her, cut her from ear
to ear and completely disemboweled
her. Superintendent Edsen, of the
Cotton Belt railway, sent special
engine tothe Rusk penitentiary, forty
FIVE miles distant, for - bloodhounds.
Farmers began a;search Immediately,
and were joinedby a large posse from
this CITY,. $-S-i: ',. ..----
The negro whose bruta1ly murdered
Mrs. Bell was captured this morning
about 4 o'clock three miles from
Kilgore. Soonafter the officers caught
and handcuffed him, mob of some
200 men, heavily armed, arrived on
the scene, and demanded the i'm
mediate surrender of the prisoner,
which was reluctantly given. The
mob started for the scene of the mur-
der, where they arrived this afternoon
ats o'clock. The crowd continued to
gather at the scene of the horrible
crime until nearly 1000 citizens of
Tyler and vicinity were there. A few
moments before the fiend was brought
to the places a committee was appointed
to investigate his identity. Witnesses
were summoned and questioned.
The result was thorough identifica-
tion. In few minutes the officers ap-
preached from over the, hill, followed
by 300 determined anu well-armed men.
When near the scene the officers were
overpowered and disarmed, and the
negro, Henry Hilliard, was brought
before the committee He made full
confession, in substance as follows:
81 was coming down the road and
saw Mrs. Bell in the road. She was
scared of me-. and. I knew that if 1
passed her she would say that 1 tried
to assault her, which concluded to do,
and then kill her., cut her throat
and cut her in another place and then
left. -
g He wrote a a a1ots to 10 his wife and gave
tito the sheriff. thread as follows:
. ''I am arrested by wig Smith.
You know what they will do with me.
IF you don't see me any more goodbye.
"HENRY."
After his confession and Identified
tion vote was taken as to the mode
Of punishment. It was unanimously
agreed to burn him alive, and that he
should suffer the penalty on the public
square. The line of march was taken
toward the square. At o'clock the
head of the line entered the main street,
where no less than 1000 people were
assembled. Large crowds of ladies
and children congregated on the avn
ings surrounding the public plaza.
Wagons, carriages, trees and public |
buildings were: converted into grand !
stands. and were thronged.
A scaffold was erected in the center
Of the square. Wagons loaded with
wood, coal oil and straw were
lriyen to the scene and placed in
position. The negro was then given
IN opportunity to speak, but his words
we're inaudible; but when he offered
Up his last prayer his words could be
ieard for several blocks. He was then
ashed to this iron rail that extended
through the platform, and Mr.. Bell,
he husband Of. the murdered woman,
pplied the match. ga
The flames shot upward, enveloping
he negro in; shestsof fire. He begged
Or mercy and It was meted out to him
nst as he, was saencifnl to the woman
Hose soul he had semitic her maker.
t was dacideditaIburn him at once,
nd as fast as. the wood which was
brown. around him was consumed it
Fas quickly ireplenished. From the
ime the match, was applied: until he
as .incinerated,it iwass exactly fifty
iinutes.y >sHs -s1sse sS-F 6
..sIhec Observation-Disclosures North
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