Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-11-22
A SAVAGE RETRIBUTION.
Murderer of a Young Girl Goes
to a Frightful Death.
DOOMED BY VIGILANTES.
The Criminal Is Takeu from a Train
by Small Band of Avengers, Com
veyed 10 the Scene Of His Crime and
slowly Roasted TO Death.

railroad rail set firmly in the ground
on the exact spot where his fendish
crime was committed, Preston Porter,
or, as he was better known, John Por-
ter, last evening paid a terrible pen
atty for his deed. 1t was 6:23 o'clock
when the father of the murdered girl
touched the match to the fuel which
had been piled around the negro and
20 minutes later a last convulSive
shudder told that life was extinct
What agony the doomed boy suffered
while the flames shriyeled up his hesh
could only be guessed from the terri
BILE contortiCns of his face and the
cries he gave from time to time.
The executioners, who numbered
about 300 citizens of Lincoln county.
had not The least semblance of the
ordinary mob. Their every act was
deliberate and during all the prepa-
rations as well as throughout the
sufferings of the negro hardly an un-
necessary word was spoken. Grimly
they stood in a circle about the fire
until the body was entirely consumed.
Porter did not seem to realize the
awful punishment that he was destin-
ed to undergo. AS he had exhibited
Indifference to the enormity of his
crime. so he seemed to lack all under
standing of its terrible consequences.
For more than an hour, while prepa-
ratiUns for his execution were in pro
eress, he stood mute and sullen
;.mong the avengers. When every
thing was ready he walked TO the
stake with IA firm step, pausing as he
hn al Of h.,
to kneel in prayer. He arose and
placed his back TO the iron stake and
half a dozen men wound chains about
lis body and limbs. Kerosene oil was
applied to the wood and after a brief
pause Richard w. Frost, the father of
little Louise Frost, whose mutilated
body was found one week ago on that
very spot, applied match.
For a moment but little Pickering
fame arose. Then the oil blazed up,
sparks flew into the air and the wood
began 10 crackle. Almost instantly
the negro's trousers caught fire. Even
though the flesh must have been
scorched he did not utter sound.
The flames crept slowly upward on
his clothing and the sparks few up in
d cloud Of pale smoke. Porter turned
his head and frightful expression
changed his face. With a sudden con-
vulsive tugging he stretched his head
as far from the flames as possible and
uttered a cry of pain. 'Oh, my God,
let me go, men. I've got something
more to tell you. Please let me go.
o, my God, my God"
Not an oath escaped him. out he
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
and the arms were raised in suDDli-
cation while burning pieces of cloth
ing 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 minutes those stolid men
were Disconnected. They feared that
the only remaining chain would give
way. If this had occurred the partly
burned human being would have dash
ed among them and not many would
have cared to captuTe him again.
But the chain held fast. The body
was then in such a position that only
the legs were in the fire. The cries
Of the wretch were redoubled and he
again begged to be shot. Some want
ed to throw him over in the fire, 9TH
ers tried to dash oil upon him. Boards
were carried and a large pile made
over the PROSTATE body. They soon
were ignited and the terrible heat
and lack of air quickly rendered the
victim unconscious, bringing death a
few moments later.
This terrible ceremony, out upon
the rolling prairie, concluded the seq
ond tragedy upon that spot, the ter
rible avenging of the first.
Through the entire affair but little
was said. As they had calmly pre-
pared for the avenging so the people
of the eastern part of the state car
ried out their plan deliberately.
The train bearing the negro in Gus
tody of Sheriff Freeman and his dep
uties arrived in Limon at 3:45 D. m.
The cars were crowded with news
paper reporters and people who we're
curious to see the negro executed. II.
W. Frost, the murdered girls father,
was one OF the passengers. When the
train stopped 1G men, who had been
selected by the vigilance committee,
entered the train and demanded the
prisoner from the sheriff The officer
protested in the name of the law and
asked the men to allow him to take
his prisoner to the county Jail at
Hugo, but his protests were disre-
garded. One man carried rope, of
which had been formed a hangman's
moose. This was slipped over the
negro's neck and he was led to the
place of execution.
1t was decided to leave the method
OF death to the outraged father. He
decided upon burning at, the stake
just before he was tied to the stake
the boy tore the leaves from his BIZ
Die and distributed them among his
eXecutioners.