The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-25

residents of Newman. The mob swasthead-
ed in the direction Of their house, Ind IN
short time reached the McEfroy fhome
The negro was marched in the gaze and
Mrs. McElroy called to. the fdopf.; She at
once Identified the African. and hen verdict
was agreed to by her daughtefs4 Hho had
often sedA Hose around the Crawford
place.
ITO the stakei" was again the cry. Sew
eral men wanted to burn him in Mrs Nc
Elroy's yard. To this she objecteh strenu-
ously and the 1xob, complying with her
wish, started for PALMETTO.
Just as they were leaving Newman word
was brought that the O'Clock train from
Atlanta was bringing 1000 people to Pal
metto. This was thought to be a regiment
of military. and the mob at once decided
to burn the prisoner at the first favorable
place rather than to be compelled to shot
him when the militia put in sight.
Leaving the little town, whose Sunday
quiet had been SO rudely disturbed, the
mob, which now numbered nearly 1,5O0 peo-
pie. started on the road to Palmetto. A
line of buggies and vehicles of all kinds,
their drivers fighting for position in line,
followed the procession, at the head of
which, closely guarded, marched the negro.
Chained to n Pine Tree
One and a--half miles out of Newman a
place believed to be favorable for the burn
ing was reached A little to the de of the
ROAD SiOOu Il StTOHS pine licS- ~ " t'S
the negro was marched, his back placed to
the tree and his face to the crowd, which
iostled closely about him. Here for the
first time he was allowed to talk He SAID:
''I am Sam Hose. / killed Alfred Gran
ford, but I was paid to do 1t. Lige StrlcK-
land, the negro preacher at ffNtnetlo, gave
me S12 to kill him.
A roar went up from the crowd as the IN
telligence impaired by the wretch was
spread among them. 80
Let him go on Tell all you know about
it," came from the crowd.
The negro, shivering ike leaI' cohtihueu
his recital:
ST did not outrage Mrs Crawford. Some
body else did that. I can iqentlfy theIh'
Give me time for that
The mob would hear no more. I'he CLONES
were torn from the wretch in an instant;
A heavy chain was produced, wound
around the body of the terrified wretcn,
and clasned by a new lock, which dangled
at Hoses neck. He said not worn "
this proceeding. but at the slght Oh tiilco
or four knives flashing In the nanos Oh Sev
eral members of the crowd ABOUT nun
which seemed to forecast the terrible Or
deal he was about to be put to, he sent up
n veil which could be heard nalle. o4
Instantly a hand grasping a knlIe snol
ont and one of the Negroes ears uio Iypa
into a hand ready to receive II. Iiooe
pleaded pitifully for mercy and begged ms
tormentors to let him die. His cries went
UNDECIDED The second ear went the way
of the other.
Hardly had he been deprived of his or
cams of hearing before his fingers. one by
one were taken from his hand and passed
among the members of the yelling and now
thoroughly maddened crowd The shrek
ing wretch quickly deprived or other
portions of his anatomy, and the words'
"Come on with the oil" brought a huge can
of Kerosene to the foot of the tree where
the negro his body covered with blood
from head to foot, was striving and tugg1ng
at his chains. The can was lifted over the
Negroes head by three or four men and its
contents poured over him.
Shrfeked In Agony and Torture
By this time good supply of brush
pieces of fence rail and other firewoed had
been placed about the negroes feet. This
pyre was thoroughly saturated and match
applied. A flame shot upward and spread
quickly over the pile of wood. AS it licked
the negroes legs he shrieked once and be-
gan Juggling at his chains.
As the flames crept higher and the smoke
entered his eyes and mouth Hose put the
stumps of his hands to the tree back of
him and with a terrific plunge forward of
his body severed the upper portion of the
chains which bound him to the tree.
His body held to the tree only as far as
the thighs, lunged forward, thus escaping
the flames which roared and cracked about
his feet. One of the men nearest the burn
ing negro quickly ran up and pushed him
back and said Get back into the fire,
there He quickly coupled the disjonted
links of the chain.
The road for distance of half mile on
each side of the burning negro was black
with conveyances and was simply impassi-
BILE. The crowd surrounded the stake on all /
sides, but none of those. nearer than 200
feet of the center were able to. see what
was going on. Yell after yell went up and
tl.af Of tha mi
Gated to those in the rear by shouts from
the eye Witnesses
The torch was applied about 2:30 and at 8
the body of Sam Hose was limp and life
less, his head hanging on one side. The
body was not cut down. 1t was cut to
pieces. The crowd fought for places about
the smouldering tree, and with knives Sc
cured such pieced Of his carcass as did not
fall to pieces. The chain was severed by
hammers, the tree was chopped down, and,
with such pieces of the frewood as had not
burned, were carried away as souvenirs.