The age-herald., 1900-11-17
ACT OF 300 CITIZENS CooIy and Deliberately They
 Make Necessary Preparations.
THE GIRLS FATHER FIRED THE PYRR
Victim Slowly Burned to Death With Horrible Agony-Crowd Waited an Hour for Others to Arrive-Pris-
 oner Taken from the Sheriff.

Limon, Colo, November 16.-Chained to a railroad rail set firmy in the ground, on the exact spot where his fiendish crime was committed, Preston Porter, Jr., or as he was familiarity known, John Porter, this evening paid a terrible penalty for his deed. It was CPS o'clock when the father of the murdered girl touched the match 10 the fuel which had been piled around the negro, and twenty minutes later a last convulsive shudder told that life was ex- tinet. What agony the doomed boy sui fered while the flames shriveled up his flesh could only be guessed from the terrible contortions of his face and the cries he gave from time to time. The executioners, who numbered about 300 citizens of Lin- coin County, had not the least semblance of the ordinary mob. Their every act was deliberate, and during all the preparations, as well as throughout the sufferigs of the negro, hardly an unnecessary word was spoken. Grimly they stood in a circle about the fire until the body was entirely consumed, and then quietly took their way back to Limon whence they departed for their homes shortly afterwards.
 Preston Porter did not seem to realize the awful punishment that he was des- tined to undergo. As he had exhibited h. difference to the enormity of his crime, so he seemed to lack all understanding of It's terrible consequence.
 For more than an hour, while prepara- tions for his execution were in progess, ha 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 10 kneel in prayer He was allowed to take his time. He arose and placed his back to the iron stake and half dozen men wound chains about his body and limbs. Kerosene oil was applied to the wood and after a brief pause,
 Girls Father Applied the Match.
 Richard w. Frost the father of little Louise Frost, whose cruelty mutilated body was found one week ago on that very spot, applied the match For a moment but a lit- tie flicker flame arose. Then the oil blazed up, sparks flew into the air, and the wood began to crackle. Almost instantly the ne- gro's trousers caught fire. At first he did not utter a sound. The flames crept slowly upward on his clothing the sparks flew up in cloud of pale smoke. Porter turned his head and frightful expression came over his face. With sudden convulsive tugging he stretched his head as far from the rap idly increasing flames possible and ut tered a cry of pain. "Oh, my God; let me go men, I've got something more to tell you. Please let me go. Oh, my God my Godn' In terrible screeches these words, the first he had uttered aloud, came from the negro. terrible tugging at the chains a succession of awful groans and screams and the negro's agony had at last broken down his sulen composure. He begged and pleaded to be shot. Suddenly the rope hold ing his hands burned through. Then arms, head and shoulders slipped through the chains. For an instant the body stood erect, the arms were raised in supplica- tion, while burning pieces of cloth dropped from them. The body then fell away from the fire, the head lower than the feet, still fastened to the rail. This was not expected and for a few moments those stond men were dsconcerted: they feared that the only remaining chain would give way If this had occurred the partly burned hu- man being would have dashed among them in hls blazing garments, and not many the chain held fast The cries of the wretch were redoubled, and he again begged to be shot. Some wanted to throw him over into the fire; others tried to dash oil on him. Boards were carried, and a large pile made over the prostrate body They soon were ignited and the terrible heat and lack of air quickly rendered the victim uncon. scious, bringing death a few moments later.
 Crowd Cool and Quiet
 Through the entire affair but little was said. As they had calmly prepared for the averaging. the people of the eastern part of the State carried out their plan cooly and deliberately. There was not hitch in