The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-23
BURNING OF CASSIE BOONE.
HORRIBLE MURDER ORA WOMAN Is
COMING TO LIGHT.

Ran Through the Woods a Living
Firebrand, Screaming for Help.
The Men Who Found Her Would
Do Nothing to Aid Her Four
Young Men Are Under Arrest, and,
1t Is Said, One of Them Will Turn
states Evidence.
Columbia, S. c., March 22.-Had the muir
der and burning of Cassie Boone in Ches-
terield county, been committed in Mexico
1t could not have been more difficult 10
get details of the crime than in this in
stance.
Chesterfield is large county, having out
two towns and just skirted by RAILROAD
II is $50 miles from Columbia. The &C.
casional correspondents of newspapers in
that section constituted themselves CEN
sors and have furnished state papers with
the barest facts, declaring the crime too
horrible to be reported in detail, and OWING
TO the remoteness of the Court House it
has been difficult to communicate with the
officials.
The latest reports show that the crime
was of extraordinary atrocity. The woman
was first gashed with knives in the hesrj-
part of her body, the cuts being from four
90 twelve inches in length; there wer4 five
such wounds. Then, with the blood flow
ing, the clothing of the poor creature was
set on fire and she was released in the
wild woods, TO run screaming through the
darkness until she fell crying for help that
was refused. A small braid around the
forehead was the only shred of clothing
left on abe body
Cassie Boone was 20 years old, daughter
of George Boone, small farmer, with
whom she lived She was one-quarter In
dian, her grandmother having been a
Cherokee on the reservation in this state.
The girls reputation is said not 10 have
been good. Last Sunday evening she left
her home with Sam Woodward to visit
one Vince Melton. She left there later in
the evening, with Tom Steen and James
Jackson, young men, presumably to re-
turn to her fathers house Nothing more
was heard of her till she was seen on
Monday night running through the woods
q living firebrand, and screaming for
help
They Would Not Aid Her.
Doss Jackson, John Jackson. Abb Kirk
ley and Jim Werner report that they heard
the screaming, and after going TO their
houses and collecting a crowd went into
the woods and found the girl. She was
still living, ard asked John Jackson to
take her hand. He refused. The others
asked and were told her name. Some one
threw an overcoat over the dying woman
and then, vent away for help. She was
dead when they returned.
The Coroner found a bloody trail for
half mile from the body leading deep into
the woods Logs she had crawled over
were stained with blood. The result of
the inquest was the arrest of Harvey,
Ben and John Jackson, and J T. Steen.
These men are now in jail They refuse
to talk, but it is said Steen has confessed
his share in the crime to the sheriff, and
will turn states evidence at the trial. All
the men are considered bad characters.
The evidence is that they took the young
woman into the woods, worked their pleas
ure and then committed che crime.
The only theory suggested by people in
the neighborhood is that the Jacksons
were Jealous of the attentions paid the
girl by Sam Woodward, and her evident
preference for him; that they forcibly took
her from him, and after keeping her in
the woods in state of insane jealousy,
they perpetuated the horrible crime. There
is no evidence that any of the men were
drinking. While the people in the county
are thoroughly incensed, there is little
likelihood of lynching as court meets in
ten days, and a speedy triad is promised.