Richmond planet., 1899-10-14

caught. They offered q reward of $500
blooo money for the capture of the fu-
gitive, and during all of the time of
the man-hunt they never msde one
suggestion that the law should have its
course
THE GOVERNORS BEsPoNsIBILITY.
The Governor of the State scquiesc-
ed in the burning by refusing to pre-
vent it. Sam Wilkes was captured at
8 o'clock Saturday night. He was in
Griffin by o'clock Sunday morning.
1t was first proposed to burn him in
Griffin, but the program was changed,
and it was decided TO take him to New
nan to burn HIM. Governor Oandler
had ordered that Wilkes should be
taken to the Fulton county Jail when
caught. That would have placed him
in Atlanta. When Wilkes reached
Griffin he was in custody of j. B. Jones
]. L Jones, r. A. Gordon, William
Matthews, p. +. Phelps. Charles Thorn
ss and A. Rogowski. They would not
take the prisoner to Atlanta, where
the Governor had ordered him to be
taken, but arranged to take him to
Newman, where they knew mob OF
six thousand were waiting to burn
him. 1t is nearer to Atlanta from Grif-
an than Newman, Besides, there VAS
no train going to Newman that Sunday
morning, so the captors OF Wilkes
were obliged to secure 3 special train
to take the prisoner to the place OF
burning. This required over two
hours time to arrange, 80 that the
special train did not leave Griffin for
Newman until III 40 4. m.
rRE CAPTURE OF THE VICTIM.
Meanwhile the news of the capture
OF Wilkes was known all over Georgia.
It was known in Atlanta in the early
morning that the prisoner would not
be brought to Atlanta. bus that he
would be taken to Newman TO be burn
ed. AS soon as this was settled, a
special train was engaged as an exeur-
sion train, to take people 80 the burn
ing. 1t was soon filed by the cIiers,
who cried out, Special train to New
mani All aboard for the burning ]"
Afcer this special moved out, another
was N Ade up to accommodate the late
comers and those who we're at church.
In this way more than two thousand
citizens of Atlanta were taken to the
| burning, while the Governor, with all
the power of the State at his command
allowed all preparations for the burn
ing TO be made during ten hours OF
daylight, and did not turn his hand to
prevent it.
WOULD NOT BEG FOR MERCY.
| do not need to give the details of
| the blrning. I mention only one fact,
and that is the disappointment which
the crowd felt when it could not make
Wilkes beg for mercy. During all the
time of his torture he never uttered
one cry. They cut off both ears skin
ned his face, cut of his fingers, gRshed
his legs, eut open his stomach and
palIed out his ensra;Is, then when his
! contortions broke the iron chain, they
pushed his burning body back into the
fire. But through it all Wilkes never
once Uttered cry or beg for mercy.
Only once in 8 particularly tiendish
torture did he speak, then he simply
grosneG, "Oh, Lord Jesus"
Among the prominent men at the
burning, and whose identity was dis
closed to me, are William Pinton, Clair
Owens and William Potts, of Palmet-
to W. w. Jackson and II. W. Jackson
lof Newman; Peter Howson and Il.
Vaughn, OF the same place John Baz
lett, Pierre ct. Clair and Thoms
Lightfoot, of Griffin. r. J. Williams,
ticket agent at Griffin, made up the
special Central or Georgia r. r. train
and advertised the burning at Griffin,
while b. +. Wyly and George Smith,
OF Atlanta, made up two special AIlan-
to and West Point Railroad trains.
All Of these gentlemen OF eminent re-
spectability could give the authorities
valuable information about the burn
ing il called upon.
CAN GIVE no NAMES.
! While Wilkes was being burned the
coiored people fed terror. stricken tc