The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-01-14
AWFUL RETRIBUTION.
Two Indians Burned at the Stake
by a Mob
FOR THE KILLING OF A WHITE WOMAN.
Met Their Fate Like Stoics, Without
Sign of the Intense Suffering They
were Undergoing -Four Others to
Receive Like Treatment.

LITTLE Rock, Ark, Jan. 1O-Charred
and burned beyond all semblance of
human beings the frames of Markus
McGeisey and Palmer Simpson, the
Seminole Indians who few days ago
murdered Mrs. James Simmons, are
still reclining in chains against the
blackened trunk of an oak tree in the
Seminole nation where on Friday
night they met their deaths in the
most awful manner conceivable at the
hands of an Oklahoma mob. The flesh
is burned from the bones and lies in
greasy and il-smelling particles in
the ashes on the ground. The
fingers and hands are burned from the
frames, and the ghastly skelet tons, be-
reft of feet and ankles, stand on black
ened bones in the ashes on the ground
Every vestige of halr and flesh are
burned from the heads, and the
clinched teeth of the dead men show
the great determination to endure
their awful punishment in silence with
which the red men died. The scene is
a fascinating one for the curious and
has been visited by many people.
Additional details of the horrible
work of the mob near Maud post office.
in the Seminole nation, last Friday
night, were received here yesterday.
According to this information, the
mOb's work is not yet finished, and
will only be completed when four more
Indians have been dealt with in the
same manner as McGeisey and Simp-
son. The citizens posse was securing
the country for the four men when the
messenger left Maud, and it is proba-
BILE that at least part of the quartette
have by this time paid the penalty de-
creed by the maddened populace.
The crime which led to the burning
of the two men was committed on last
Thursday. Marlxus McGeisey was the
owner of some property. On his land
lived a white family named Simmons.
During the absence of the husband on
Thursday McGeisey went to the Sim
mons cabin and asked for a drink of
water. Mrs. Simmons was at home
with her four children. The Indian
was given the water, and he then
asked for saddle. On being refused
the saddle. McGeisey grabbed the
woman who had her baby in her arms
and dragged her out of the house.
When the woman attempted to run
away the Indian seized u Winchester
and dealt her a 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 re-
move the body into the house from
where it had fallen in the yard. The
little ones stood up and watched their
mothers corpse until the bitter cold
them to relax their vigil
and seek shelter from the weather in
the cabin, During the night the body
was almost devoured by hogs. The
news of the murder spread rapidly
L friday morning and the whole popu-
lace for 30 miles around was aroused.
About 20 Indians were arrested.
The oldest child told the crowd that
McGeisey was the guilty man and a
posse of 20 determined men went to ar
rest him. Simpson was at McGeisey's |
house when the posse arrived and both |
were taken into custody. A rope was
procured and the prisoners were
down and given an opportunity to !
talk both confessed, and named four |
others who they declared were equally |
guilty. 1t developed that the Indians !
desired to get rid of certain white set
tiers, and that McGeisey had been |
hired to do the murder.
Possess were at once sent in search
Of the other four Indians, and it was
decided TO have a wholesale lynching
rs soon as they could be captured. AS
night came on, however, and the other /
four were not captured, the citizen |
their plan and determined to /
dispose of McGeisey and Simpson |
without further delay. The feel |
ing against them was SO bitter |
that the crowd would not be |
with the ordinary method of |
lynching and il, was voted to burn them |
at the stake. The victims were accord
ingly chained to a post oak tree.
Fence rails and dry wood were then /
piled high about them and in a few
the Indians were wrapped in
roaring flames, while the timbers
crackled beneath their feet.
Never a word did the Indians utter
while being roasted alive They ap-
parently saw that they were powerless
to resist and endured their lots like
5toics. The crowd was composed of
not over 80 men, and the work was
done in a quiet but thoroughly deter
mined manner.
Poss es continued the search for the
Dther four Indians and it is very prob
able that if captured they will be
dealt with in a like manner. The |
gentleman bringing this information
states that there is grave fears of an
among the Indians and that
he believes bloodshed is certain to
follow.