The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-01-14
BURNED At THE STAKE
Horrible Punishment of Two
Seminole RaVishers.
Lynching Occurred the Oklahoma
Border-The Indians Met Their
Death without FIinchine.

Death without FIinching.
Little Rock, Ark, Jan. 11.-Char-
red and burned beyond all semblance
of human beings, the remains of Mar
Gus McGeisy and Palmer Simpson, two
Seminole Indians, who, few days ago
murdered Mrs James Simons, are still
resting in chains against the blackened
trunk of an oak tree in the Seminole
nation, where, Friday night, they met
their death in the most horrible man.
ner conceivable at the hands of an Ok
lahoma mob. The flesh is burned from
the bones, and lies in greasy and ILL
smelling particles in the ashes on the
ground. The fingers and hands are
burned from the frames, and the ghast-
ly skeletons, bereft of feet and ankles,
stand ON blackened bones in the ashes
on the ground. Every vestige of hair
and flesh are burned from the heads,
and the clenched teeth of the dead men
show the great determination to endure
their awful punishment in silence
with which the redmen died. The
scene is fascinating one for the curl
Gus, and has been visited by many peo-
pie since yesterday morning.
Additional details of the horrible
work of the mob were received here to-
day. According to this information,
the mob:s work will not be finished
until four more Indians have been
dealt with in the same manner as Nc
Geisy and Simpson. The citizens
posse was securing the country for the
four men when the messenger left
Maud, and it is probable. at least some
of them have, by this time, paid the
penalty decreed by the maddened pop
ulace.
The crime which led to the burning
of the two men was committed last
Thursday. Marcus McGeisy was the
owner of some property. On his land
lived white family named Simons.
During the absence of the husband.
Thursday, McGeisy went to the ST.
mons cabin and asked for a drink of
water. Mrs. Simons was at home with
her four small children. The Indian
was given the water, and he then asked
for saddle. On being refused the
saddle, McGeisy grabbed the woman,
who had her baby in her arms, and
dragged her out of the house. When
the woman attempted to run back, the
Indian seized Winchester and dealt
her deadly blow on the head, crush
ing the skull. The woman died in
stantly. The murdered woman's hus-
band did not return Thursday evening,
and the children were unable to remove
the body into the house from where it
had fallen in the yard. The little
ones stayed up and watched their
dead mothers body until the bitter
cold compelled them to relax their Wig
ilance and seek shelter from the wealth
er in the cabin.~ During the night,
the body was almost devoured by hogs.
The news spread rapidly Friday
morning, and the whole population
for 20 miles around was aroused, and
oldest child told the crowd that Nc
Geisy was the guilty man, and posse
of 20 determined men went to arrest
him. Simpson was at McGeisy's home
when the posse arrived, and both were
taken into custody. A rope was pro-
cured and the prisoners were strung up
by the necks. On being let down and
given an opportunity to talk, both con-
fessed to the crime, and named four
others, who they declared were equally
guilty. 1t developed that the Indians
decided to get rid of certain white set
tiers, and that McGeisy had been hired
to do the murderous work.
Posses were at once sent in search of
the other Indians, and it was decided
to have wholesale lynching as soon
as they could be captured. AS night
came on, however, and the other four
were not captured, the citizens changed
their plan, and determined to dispose
of McGeisy and Simpson without fur
ther delay. The feeling was so bitter
against them 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 an oak tree.
Fence rails and dry wood were piled
high about them, and in few minutes,
the Indians were wrapped in roaring
flames, while the timbers cracked be-
meath their feet. Never a word did the
Indians utter while being roasted alive.
They apparently saw that they were
powerless to resist and endured their
lots like stoics. The crowd was COM
posed of not oyer 80 men, and the work
was done in quiet, but thorough and
determined manner.
The man bringing this information
states that there are grave fears of an
outbreak among the Indians. and he
believes bloodshed is certain to follow.
For the Defense of Halifax.