Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-11-22

IL J
on the Spot Where Ills Awful
Crime Was Committed Pays n
Terrible Penalty for His Decd.
Father of His Victim Applies the
Torch-suncrs Frightful Agonies
While the Flames Slowly Shrivel
His Flesh.
Limon, Colo, Nov. 1s.-Chained to a
railroad rail set firmly in the ground
on the exact spot where his 1icndish
crime was committed, Preston Porter
Jr., or, as he is Familiarity known, John
Porter, last evening paid q terrible
penalty for his deed. 1t was G:23
O'Clock when the father of the MUIR
dered girl touched the match to the
fuel which had been piled around the
negro, and twenty minutes later last
convulsive shudGei' told that life was
extinct. What age'ny the doomed boy
suffered while the flames Shriveled his
flesh could only be guessed from the
terrible contortions of his face and the
cries he gave.
The eNecutioners numbered about
300 citizens Of Lincoln county They
had not the least semblance of the
ordinary mob. Their every act was
deliberate, and during all the prepar-
ations as we'll as throughout the sur
ferings of the negro, hardly an I'M
necessary word was spoken. Grimly
they stood in circle about the fire
until the body was partly consumed,
and then quietly they took their way
back to Limon, whence they departed
for their homes shortly afterWard.
Preston Porter did not seem to realize
The Awful Punishment
that he was destined to undergo. AS
he had exhibited Indifference to the
enormity of his crime, so he seemed
to lack all understanding of its ter
rible consequences. For more than an
hour while preparations for his eXecu-
ton We're in progress he stood mute
and sullen among his avengers. When
everything was ready he walked to
the stake With Il firm step, pausing
as he reached the circle of broken
boards to lneel 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
was applied to TIE wood. and after a
brief pause. fired by Frost, the father
of little Louise Fiost, whose cruelty
mutilated body was found one week
ago ON that very spot. The flames
crept slowly upward on his clothing.
| the sparks flew up in Il cloud of pale
| smoke. Porter turned his head and Il
| frightfu; expression changed his face.
| With a sudden convulsive Juggling he
| stretched his head as far from the
| rapidly increasing flames as possible
| and uttered the cry of pain.
''Oli. My God, Let Me Go. Men.
| I've got something to tell you. Please
| let me so. Oh, my God, my God.' In
| terrible screcches 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, and the negroes agony
Was at last breaking down his sullen
composure. Not an oath escaped him,
but he begged and pleaded to be shot.
Suddenly the rope holding 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 supplication
While burning pieces of clothing fell
from them. The body then fell away
| from the fire, the head lower than the
| feet still fastened to the rail. Boards
We're carried and large pile made
| over the PROSTATE body. They soon
were ignited and the terrible heat
quickly rendered the victim uncon-
scious, bringing death few moments
| later. This pnrenor1- ont ~, tJ,n ,ol1
ing prairie concluded the second trag-
edy upon that spot--the avensing of
| the first
Taken From the Sheriff.
| The train bearing the negro. in GUS
tody Of Sheriff Freeman and his depu-
ties, arrived in Limon at 3:45 p. m.
The cars We're crowded with newsp;;-
PEI. reporters and persons who were
curious to see the negro executed. The
| murdered girls father was one Of the
/ passengers. When the train stopped
sixteen men who had been selected by
the vigilance committee entered the
train and demanded the prisoner from
| the sheriff. The officer protested III
| the name of the state and asked the
men to allow him to take his prisoner
to the county Jail at Hugo. but his re-
quests were diSregarded One carried
a rope. a hangman's moose was
| slipped over the Negroes neck Tt was
| at first announced that the boy was
executed by hanging. Many, Including
| the father of the negroes victim. urged
| that such q death would be too easy,
and it was finally decided to leave
the method of death to be selected by
the outraged father. He decided upon
burning at the stake. The train was
then allowed to proceed. and at Lake
station, about three miles from Limon
| and near the scene of the negroes
crime, the party left the train and be-
gan preparations for the deed OF
| avenging.
HypnOtist Murilercd.
Redbud, ILL.,, Nov. Is. - Theodore
Youngblood, aged twenty-eight years,
was shot and instantly killed by John
I