Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-10-31
Tortured at Tyler, Texas.
A NEGRO RAPIST AND MURDERER
BURNED AT THE STAKE
ROASTED ALIVE.
In Detail the Black Fiend's Deed Was
Strikingly Similar to the Murder
of Mrs. Cain, of Callaway-Cre-
mated in the Presence of
$4,000 People.

lard, the negro who murdered Mrs.
Bell yesterday afternoon, was burned
at a stake in the center of the public
square at Tyler to-day.
Twelve thousand persons witnessed
the cremation, and the scene was
probably only rivaled during the days
of Spanish Inquisition.
The event was celebrated as a feast
day. Stores were closed, mills shut
down, and trains brought crowds into
the city to witness the execution.
Grand stands were erected about the
square, people crowded for places on
the balconies overlooking the open
space, and those who could not secure
positions there crowded onto awnings,
climbed telegraph and telephone poles,
and fought for other vantage points
The victim of the negro who to-day
met such q horrible death as a penalty
for his crime was Mrs. Leonard Bell.
the 10 year old wife of a farmer living
near Kilgore. She visited her mother
Sunday evening and about dusk start
ed to walk home, a distance of a hall
mile. On the way she passed a gin.
where q number of men were at work,
Soon afterwards her mutilated body
was found at the side of the public
road. There was every evidence of a
terrible struggle having taken place.
as her body was almost nude. The
fiend, after ~assaulting her, had cut her
throat from ear to ear and completely
disemboweled her.
A posse of farmers was at once form
ed to hunt the murderer and pack
of bloodhounds was secured. The an
imals at once took the scent and at 4
O'Clock this morning stopped in front
of a Gotten pen, three miles from Kill
gore, where they began to bay, thus
signifying they had run the victim to
earth. Officers found the negro asleep.
He was awakened and was securely
handcufTed. Just as the authorities
were leaving the pen with their pris-
oner a mob of 200 persons came up
and took the negro to the scene of the
murder.
The crowd continued to gather al
the spot where the crime was com
mitted until fully 1000 were there. The
negro was brought to the place, 6
meeting was held and a committee
was appointed to investigate his ident-
ity, the result being a thorough ident'
ification. When near the scene the
officers were overpowered and dis
armed and the negro was brought be-
fore the committee. He made a full
confession, which in substance is a.
follows:
81 was coming down the road ant
saw Mrs. Bell in the road. She wa
scared of me, and / knew that If
passed her she would say / tried t.
rape her, and I concluded that l wonlt
rape her and then kill her. 1 cut he
throat and then cut her in anothe
place and left"
After his confession and thorough
Identification a vote was taken as tt
the mode of punishment. 1t wa
unanimously decided to burn him, ant
it was agreed that he should suffer hi
penalty on the public square in thil
CITY,.
The line of march was then take1
up toward Tyler, and at 4 O'Clock tht
head of the line entered the mali
plaza, where no less than 1000 people
were assembled. Large crowds o
ladies and children e r congregated
and awnings, wagons, carriages, trees
adjacent buildings were converted in
to grand stands and were thronged.
At 4:3O o'clock a scaffold was erect
ed in the center of the square an6
wagons laden with kindling wood GOA
oil and straw were driven to the scene
and placed in position. The negro was
then given IN opportunity to speak.
but his words were inaudible. Then he
offered his last prayer on this earth
and his voice was stronger. After this
he was lashed to the iron rail that ex-
tended through the platform.
Mr.. Bell, the husband of the muir
dered woman, applied the match tt
the funereal pyre. The fire was fire.
quently %quenehed, and after the lapse
Of a few moments was started again
From the time the match was applied
until death ended his sufferings wal
exactly fifty minutes.