Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-17

Father Of Murdered Girl With Own
y Hand Applies Torch.
MOE TAKES THE MURDERER
FROM THE SHERIFF.

dSSAult ana Cruei murder of little
Louise Frost, whose mutilated body
,nutiiated body was found hidden
among the bushes the day after the
crime was committed. 1t was 6.23
O'Clock when the father Of the muir
dered girl touched the match to the
fuel piled around the stake and 20
.piniutes Inter a last convulsive shud-
der told that life was extinct What
agony the doomed boy suffered while
the flames shivelcd up his flesh could
only be GUESSED from the terrible con-
tortions OF; his face and the cries he
gave from time to time.
The executioners. who numbered
about 800 citizens or Lincoln county,
had not the least semblance Of the or
binary mob. Their every act was DELHI
crate. and during all the preparations
as well as throughout the sufferings Of
the negro hardly an unnecessa.y
word was spoken. Grimly they stood
in a circle about the fire until the body
was entirely consumed and then quiet
ly tool, their way back to I.imon from
where they departed from their homes
shortly afterwards.
iZe the awful punishment he was des-
tined tn undergo. AS he had exhibit
ed Indifference to the enormity of his
crime. so he seemed to lack all under
standing Of it's terrible consequences.
For more than an hour while prepara-
tons for his execution We're in pro-
gress he stood mute and sullen among
the avengers.
: When everything was ready he
walked to the stake with a firm step.
pausing as he reached the circle of
broken boards. to kneel in prayer. He
was allowed to take his time. He arose
and placed his back to the iron stake
and half a dozen men wound chains
about his body and limbs. Kerosene
oil was applied to the wood and after
abf7sa ple10banEEWlhsNA
little I1euise Ffoets app1ietssl match
For moms-nt bur a little Pickering
flame arose. then the OH blazed up.
sparks few into the air and the wood,
began, to craekle. Almost Instantly the,
neEros trousers caught fire. Even
though the flesh must have been
scorched, he did not utter a sound.
The flames crept slowly upward on his
the sparks flew up in clouds
Of pale smoke. Porter turned his head
and a .frightful expression changed his
face. With sudden cOnvulsive tugging-
he stretched his head as far from the
rapidly increasing flames as possible
and uttered a cry of pain.
"Oh. my God. let me go. men. I've
got something more to tell. Please let
me go. Oh, my God, my Cod
In terrible screeches these words,
the first he had uttered aloud, came
from the negro. A terrible Juggling at
the chains, a succession of awful
groans and screams, the negro's agony
was at last breaking down his sullen
but he begged and pleaded to shot
Suddenly the rope holding his hands
burned through. Then arms. head and
shoulders slipped through the chains.i
For an instant the body stood erect.
the arms were raised in application,
while pieces of clothing dropped from
them. The body fell away from the fire,
the head lower than the feet, still
fastened to the rail.
This was not expected and for a few
minutes these stolid men were discon-
certed. They feared that the only re-
chain would give way. If this
had occurred the partly burned human
being would have dashed among them
would have cared to capture him
again.. But the chain held fast. The
body was then in such position that
only the legs were in the fire. The
cries of the boy We're redOubled and
he again begged TO be shot. Some
to throw him over into the
Ilre. others tried to. dash upon him.
Boards were carried and n large pile
made over the PROSTATE body. They
soon We're ignited and the terrible heat
and lack of air quickly rendered the
victim unconscious. bringing death a
few minutes later. This terrible cere-
nony ont upon the rolling prairie, con-
,luded the second tragedy upon that
spot, the terrible avenging Of the first.
Throughout the entire affair. but lit
lie was said. AS they had come pre-
pared for the avenging. so the people
of the eastern part of the state car
RED out their plan coollly and deliber-
ately. There was not hitch in the
entire proceeding; not a weapon was
drawn; there was no angry discussion.
After the fire had burned low they
babe each other good night and they
went home without stopping to discuss
The affair
The train bearing the negro in the
custody Of Sheriff Freemtn and his
deputies arrived in Limon at 3.45 p. NJ.
The cars were crowded with newspa-
per reporters and people who were Gu
rious to see the negro EXECUTED. r. w.
Frost, the murdered girls father. was
one of the passengers. When the train
stopped, 16 men who had been selected
by the vigilance committee, entered
the train and demanded the~prisoner
from the sheriff. Their every action
was marked by calmness and delibera-
ton. The officer protested in the name
of the law and asked the men to a1-