The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1898-01-13
WERE CHARRED and BURNED.
THE TWO SEMINOLE INDIANS Exc
CUTED BY AN OKLAHOMA
MOB FRIDAY.
FOUR OTHERS NAY YET SUFFER
The Indians Suffered Like StOics.
Grave Fears of an Outbreak
Among the Red Men and Blood
shed May Follow.

Little Rock, Ark, Jan. 9.-Charred and
burned beyond all semblance of human
| beings, the frames of Markus McGeisey
and Palmer Simpson, the two Seminole
! Indians who few days ago murdered
| Mrs. james Simmons, are still reclining
| in chains against the blackened trunk of
post oak tree in the Seminole nation,
where on Friday night they met their
death in the most awful manner con-
ccivable at the hands of an Oklahoma
mob. The flesh is burnt from the bones
and lies in greasy and i'll smelling parti-
| cles in the ashes on the ground. The
! fingers and hands are burned from the
frames and the ghastly skeletons, bereft
Of feet and ankles. stand on blackened
bones in the ashes on the ground. Every
vcstige of hair and flesh are burned from
the heads and the clinched teeth of the
dead men show the logged determination
to endure their awful punishment in 81
lence with which the red men died. The
scene is fascinating one for the curious
and has been visited by many people
since yesterday morning.
Additional details of the horrible work
of the mob near Maud postoffice in the
Seminole nation last Friday night were
received here today. According to this
information the mob's work is not fin
ished and will only be completed when
four more Indians have been dealt with
in the same manner as were McGeisey
and Simpson. The citizens posse was
securing the country for the four men
when the messenger left Maud and it is
probable that at least pair of the quar-
tettc have by this time paid the penalty
dccreed by the maddened populace.
The crime which led to the burning of
the Indians was committed on last Thurs
day. Markus McGeisey was the owner
of some property On his land lived
white family named Simmons. During
the absence Of the husband on Thurs
day, Mc3eiscy went to the Simmons
cabin and asked for u drink of water.
Mrs. Simmons was ut home with her four
small children. The Indian was given
the water and he then asked for Il sad
die. On being refused the saddle. Me
GeScy grabbed the woman. who had her
baby in her arms and dragged her out
of the house. When the woman attempt
ed to run away, the Indian seized Il win
chester and dealt her n deadly blow on
the head. crushing the skull. The woman
died instantly. The murdered woman's
husband did not return home Thursday
evening, and the children were unable
to remove the body into the house from
where it had fallen in the yard. The lit
tie ones stood up and watched their
mothers corpse until the bitter cold COM
PEELED them to relax their vigils and seek
shelter from the weather in the cabin.
During the night the body was almost
dcvOured by hogs.
The news of the murder spread rapidly
Friday morning and the whole populace
for twenty miles around was aroused.
About twenty Indians were arrested.
The eldest child told the crowd that Me
Geisey was the guilty man and posse
of 200 determined men went to arrest
him. Simpson was at McGeiseys home
when the posse arrived and both were
taken into custody. A rope was pro-
cured and the prisoners were strung up
by the neck. On being let down and
given an opportunity to talk both con-
fessed to the crime and named four 9TH |
ers who they declared were equally
guilty. 1t developed that the Indians de-
sired to get rid of certain white settlers
and that McGeisey had been hired to
do the murder. Posses were at once
sent in search of the other four Indians
and it was decided to have wholesale |
lynching as soon as they could be cap |
tured. AS night came on, however, and |
the other four were not captured, the |
citizens changed their plans and deter
mined to dispose of McGeisey and Simp- |
son without further delay. The feeling |
against them was so bitter that the |
crowd would not be satisfied with the |
ordinary method of lynching and it was |
voted to burn them at the stake. The |
victims were accordingly chained to n |
post oak tree. Fence rails and dry wood |
were then piled high about them and in |
n few minutes the Indians were wrapped |
in roaring flames, vile the timbers crack |
led beneath their feet. Never Il word did |
the Indians utter while they were being |
roasted alive. They apparently saw that |
they were poweress to resist and en- |
durcd their death like stoics The crowd |
was composed of not over 200 men and |
the work was done in quiet but thor
oughly determined manner. The bodies |
were not touched after the chains were
first fastened and they are probably hang
ing to the trunk of the tree yet.
Posses continued the search for the
other four Indians and it is very prob
able that if captured they will be dealt |
with in Il like manner. The gentleman
this information states that |
there are grave fears of an outbreak
among the Indians and that he believes
bloodshed is certain to follow.
THAT NINE EXPLOSION