The Van Buren press., 1895-11-02
fisnlish Crime.


this neighborhood was foully murdered
about four and half miles from here.
Mrs. Bell had been visiting her mother
during the evening. and about dusk
started to walk home, distance Of
half mile. On the way she passed GIN
where number Of men were at work.
Soon afterwards her mutilated body was
found . quarter Of mile from her home.
There was every evidence Of terrible
struggle having taken place, as her body
was almost nude. The fiend, after as
saulting her, had cut her throat from
ear to ear and completely disemboweled
her.
GALVESTON, Oct. 20.-A special to
the News from Kilgore, Tex. says:
At point about four miles from Tyler
was enacted ono Of those horrible TRACE.
dies, the recital of which causes the
hearer to shudder and calls for quick
and certain vengeance.
) A Mrs. Bell, who had been visiting
her mother . short distance from here.
was ON her return met by . negro named
Jim King. What occurred can only be
told by the negro himself and the dead
body Of the lady. The ground around
showed that she had struggled for her
honor, and the condition Of her body
told Of . cruelty that has only been
equalled by Jack the Ripper.
After outraging the body the negro
deliberately cut her throat, and then
taking the knife ripped up her body.
A posse was quickly organized led by
Deputy Smith, Of Tyler. who. with
lanterns In hand and aided by hound,
tracked the negro to within four miles
Of this place, where they found him fast
asleep In . cotton pen. The negro's
clothing was still covered with blood.
which he had attempted to wash out.
The party noticed In trailing that the
sole Of the negro q shoe was 30 worn as
to make peculiar track, and the negro
was taken to the road and made to walk.
when the track was found to be identical
with the one trailed all the way from
the dead body. The posse started back
to Tyler with the negro, but the rapidly
gathering crowd Of excited citixens
makes It very doubtful II he reaches
there alive.
TYLER, Tex. Oct. 20. 9.-Henry Hill
Hard, the negro who 80 brutally mur-
dered Mrs. Bell and then cut her throat
and ripped her body open, was caught
about clock this morning near Kill
gore In an open cotton pen, where he
was sleeping. The officers immediately
started for Tyler, but soon after they
were overpowered by . mob Of 300
and the negro taken from them. The
mob took the negro to the scene Of the
murder. arriving st 8 Pm. Here the
crowd was augmented until II reached
2 900.
A meeting was held and . committee
appointed to try the negro. who con-
fessed, saying that he met Nrs- Bell on
the road, and - she appeared to be
afraid he thought she would say he
raped her. 30 he outraged her. cut her
throat and then cut her open. A vote
was taken and It was decided to burn
him, and he was taken to Tyler, where,
on the main plaza, 5. 000 people. includ-
ing women and children, had gathered.
Wagons were dispatched for scadolding.
hindling and oil.
He was asked to make . statement but
his voice was insudible, but when he
came to pray he could be heard for
several blocks. He was lashed to an
iron post, which was the centrepiece Of
the scaftold and the husband Of the out
ragged woman applied the match to the
faggots. When the flames would burn
too furiously, they would be quenched
and then started up again in order that
be might suffer the more.
Several law abiding colored citizens
took part In the awful lynching.