New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-24
NEGRO BURNED AT A TREE.
Continued from nrst pnsc.
reached the McElroy home The negro WIS
$1,000 L.. Tia rate and Mrs. McElr0y was

,,arcbsd In the gate and Mrs. McEroy was
called IN the front door She Immediately identi-
fed the negro. and her verdict was agreed 10 py
her daughter. who had often seen Hose ABOUT
the Crawford place.
"To the stake," was again the cry, and several
men wanted to burn the prisoner In Mrs' FL
crows yard To this she objected strenuous'y,
and the mob. complying with her Wis., s'ai'eu
for Palmetto Just as they were leaving Ne"
nan news came that the 1 O'Clock tram iio"
Atlanta would bring one thousand peopie iio'
that city. This was taken to be resiinen' "a
soldiers. and the mob decided to purn the pii'-
oner at the first favorable place rather than be
compelled to shoot him when the militia put III
an appearance. -, o,,, cf,eep
hundred started on the road to Palmetto. A
line OF buggies and vehicles OF all kinds their
drivers fighting for position In line. ionoWeu
the procession, at the head Oh Which, e'0''
guarded, marched the negro
WHERE THE PRISONER WAS BURNED.
One and a half miles out Of Newman place
believed TO be favorable to the burning was
reached. A little to the side Of the road was
strong pine tree. Up to this the negro was
marched. his back placed to the tree and MS
face 70 the .rowi which jostled closely about
him. Here for the first time he was allowed to
talk He said:
ct am sam Hose. / killed Alfred Crawford,
hut was paid to do il. 'Lge' Strickland, the
negro preacher at Palmetto, gave me $l2 to kill
him." MI
Intelligence impaired by the wretch was spread
among them LET him go on; tell all you know
about IT, came from the crowd. The negro,
shiverng like leaf continued his recital.
Il did not outrage Mrs. Crawford somebody
else did that l can identify them. Give me time
for that"
torn from the wretch in an instant. heavy
chain was produced and wound around the body
of the terrified negro, casped by new lock
which dangled at Hoses neck. He said not q
word to this proceeding, but at the sight of
three or four knives in the hands OF several
members of the crowd about him, which seemed
10 forecast the terrible ordeal he was about to
be put 10. ne sent up yell which could be heard
for a mile Instantly a hand grasping knife
shot out and one Of the negro's ears dropped
into a hand ready to receive 1t.
Hose pleaded pitifully for mercy and begged
his tormentors to let him die. His cries went
unheeded. The second ear went the way of the
other Hardly had he been deprived OF his or
gans Of hearing than his fingers, one by one,
were taken from his hands and passed among
the members of the yelling and now thoroughly
maddened crowd. The words: Come on with
the OIL" brought can Of kerosene TO the foot
Of the tree where the negro, his body covered
with blood from head to foot was striving and
Juggling at his chains. The can was lifted over
the negro's head by three or four men ana us
contents poured over him.
BY this time a good supply of brush. pieces
of fencerail and other frewood had been placed
about the negro's feet. This pyre was thor
oughly saturated and a match applied. The
flame shot upward and spread quickly over the
pile of wood Az 1t licked the Negroes legs he
shrieked once and began tugging 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 MN,
and with a plunge forward Of his body severed
the upper portion of the chains which pound
him to the tree
His body. held TO the tree only by as far as
the thighs lunged forward, thus escaping the
flames which roared and cracked about MS
feet One Of the men nearest the burning negro
quickly ran up and, pushing him back. said.
Get back into the fire. there, and quickly
coupled the links of the chain. .
The crowd surrounded the stake on all sldes,
but none of those nearer than one hundred feet
Of the centre were able to see what was going
on Yell after yell went up, and the progress
Of the flames communicated TO those III the
rear by shouts from the witnesses
The torch was applied about 2:3O CLOCK. ana
at 3. o'clock the BODY Of Hose was limp ana me
less his head hanging to one side. Inc p0ay
was not cut down. 1t was cut to pieces Inc
crowd fought for places about the sInouidering
tree and with knives secured such pieces or MS
carcass as did not fall to pieces The chain was
severed by hammers. the tree was chopped
down, and such pieces Of the frewood as
had not burned were carried away as souvenirs