The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-11-17
NEGRO FIEND
BURNED ALIVE
-----r=aas=sr
Awful Fate Of Murderer Of Little
Louise Frost.
-==-
HORRIBLE COLORADO CRIME
he Was Taken From Sheriff BY Committee sGd
Burned Al Stake 90 Spot Where He
Committed Ms lieInous
Crime.
HORRIBLE COLORADO CRIME

LIMoN. Col. Nov i6.-chained to
n railroad rail se, firmly In the ground
on ths exact spot where his fiendlsh
crime was committed. Preston Porter
--or. an he was famIliarly known. John
Portcr--this evening paid the terrible
penalty Tor his deed.
II was 623 o'clock when the father of
the murdered girl touched a match 10
the fuel which RAD been piled around
the negro and 90 minutes later the last
conyulsive shudder told that life was
extinct
The executors. who numbered about
900. citizens Of Lincoln county. had not
the least semblance of ordinary mobs.
though every act was deliberate. Grim
~ they stood IN a circle abou, the fre
until the body was entirely consumed
and then quietly made their way back
TO Llmon. from whence they departed
Tor their homes shortly af,erwRrd.
Preston Porter did not seem to realize
the awful punishment that he was des-
tined to undergo. A. he had exhibited
Indifference TO the enormi,y OF his
crime so be seemed 10 lack all under
standing Of It's terrible consequences
For more than an hour, while prepa-
raiions for his execution were in prog
ress. he stood mute and sullen among
the avengers when everything was
ready he walked to the stake with firm
step. pauslng as he reached the circle
Of broken boards TO kntel and pray. lie
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, Kero-
scne OH was applied TO the wood and,
after brief pause, Richard w, Frost.
father OF little Louise Frost. whose lit
tie mutllatcd body was found one week
aFc on that very spot. took his match
safe out extracted a match, III II. and
touched the flames 10 the oil. For
moment but little filckering flame
arose. then the oil blazed up. sparks
llow into the air and the wood began
&c crackle.
Almost Instantly the negro's trousers
caught Are. Even though his flesh must
have been scorched he did not utter a
sound The flames crept slowly upward
on his clothing. With a sudden con-
vulsive tuggng he stretched his head
as far as he could from the rapidly
Increasing flames and uttered a cry OF
lpan: "oh. my God, LET me 60 men.
I've something more 10 tell you. Please
let me go, Oh! My God! My God!'
In terrible screeches these words. the
FIRST he had uttered aloud. came from
the negro. A terrible tugging at the
chains, a succession Of awful groans
and screams. The Heero's awful agony
was at last breaking down his sullen
composure. Not an oath escaped him
but H. begged and pleaded to be shot.
Suddenly the rope holding his hands
burned through, Then his arms, head
land shoulders slipped through the chain.
For an instant his body stood erect,
his arms We're raised in supplcation
while burning pieces Of cloth dropped
from them. His body then fell away
from the Are, his head lower than the
fleet, which were still fastened to the
rail. His body was then in such q po-
sltion that only his legs were In the
FIRE. The cries OF the wretch were re-
doubled and he again begged to be
shot.
Some wanted to throw him over into
the hre. others tried to throw oil upon
him. Boards were carried and large
piles made over his prostrated body.
They were soon ignited and the terri
BILE heat and lack OF air quickly rem
dered the victim unconscious, bringing
death a few moments later.
The train bearing the negro In the
custody of Sheriff Freeman and his
deputies from Denver arrived in Limon
nj S.45 p. m. r. w. Frost the muir
dered girls father, was one Of the pas
sengers. When the train stopped, six
teen men who had been selected by the