The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-03
THE NEGR0'S CONFESSION
He and His Uncle Had Planned Other
Like Crimes.
TIE PEOPLE WERE AROUSED TO MADNESS
They Left Shop and Field and TraIed the Me-
gro Down With BIoOdhounds. The
Horrible Death by Fire Then
Followed Quickly.
Followed Quickly.
(By the Associated Press.)

lBy the Associated PresS.)
Wetumpka, Ala, Oct. 2-Winfield Town
send, alias Floyd, negro, was burned
at the stake in the little town of Eclectic.
fifteen miles from this place, a half hour
after midnight this morning. The negro's
crime was an attempted assault upon
Mrs. Lennie Harrington, whose husband
set fire to the brands which reduced
Townsend's body to ashes. Yesterday
afternoon about l o'clock the negro. a
nephew of Alexander Floyd. who was
hanged in the Wetumpka Jail week be-
fore last for attempted assault, attempted
to outrage Mrs. Harrington. Mr. Har-
rington was engaged at cotton gin in
Eclectic, and lives one mile out of town.
The negro came to the house and told
Mrs. Harrington that her husband had
sent him to get 90 cents from her. She
told him she had no change. Then the
legro left. but returned in ten minutes
The woman's screams were heard by Bob
Nichols. another negro, who was passing
along the road at the time. He ran to
the house in time to see the negro escape.
AS soon as Mrs. Harrington was brought
back to consciousness Nichols gave the
alarm.
The news spread rapidly. All the stores
in Eclectic were closed, all the gins and
saw mills shut down; the people left
their wagons in the road and their plows
in the field ana gathered for pursuit of
the negro. The crowd divided, some
securing the woods near the scene of the
crime and others went to the pen. for
bloodhounds.
The dogs were not brought to the scene
until nearly dark. They were taken to
where the negro's tracks disappeared and
an exciting chase ensued. The dogs
stopped finally at a tree in front of
Odions store, on the outskirts of the
town. The crowd coming up soon dis
covered the negro sitting on a limb. He
was brought down at once and taken to
the scene CT his crime. There he was
confronted by his victim, who positively
identified him. Word was sent to the
other searching parties that the negro
had been found, and by IL o'clock a crowd
Of several hundred was in the little viii
lage. The negro was then taken to the
edge of the village and surrounded by the
mob. He was shivering with fear. The
preparations for death were quickly ar
ranged. A rope was flung over the limb
of big oak and a hundred men stood
ready to lend a hand at the rope.
Then 4 halt was called and the manner
of death discussed by the mob. To decide
the matter vote was taken. nd the bal
loting showed q majority of the crowd to
favor death 1T the stake.
The stake was prepared and the negro
was bound to it with chains. Pine knots
were piled about him, and the flames were
fred by the husband of the negros vic
tim. AS they leaped to the wretchs
flesh his wild cries upon God for mercy
and help could be heard for miles.
The crowd looked on, deaf to his cries,
and in an hour the negro was reduced to
ashes.
Townsend, before being bound, con-
fessed the crime and said he was also
implicated with Alexander Floyd, who was
hanged a couple of weeks ago for an at
tempted assault upon Miss Kate Pearson,
in the attempt at that time. He said he
and Floyd had planned for other crimes Of
like character. but that Floyd's being
hanged put a stop to them.
Townsend made a confession implicat-
ing seven other negroes in his crime AS
this is the second white woman assaulted
in this vicinity within a month, it is be-
lieved there is a conspiracy among the
negroes. One of the negroes implicated
in the confession of Townsend was in jail
here charged with burglary, and 40
threats of lynching were made he was
sent to Montgomery tonight for safe
keeping. The deputy sheriff had q wild
drive of fourteen miles through the coun-
try, and had he been thirty minutes later
crowd of men who left here by train
would have intercepted him. After reach
ing Montgomery two other negroes who
are implicated in the crime were arrest
ed by the deputy. They are Frank Floyd
and Jake Floyd, brothers of the negro
Floyd, who was lynched at Wetumpka
September 9th. A singular coincidence is
that Mrs. Harrington, who was assaulted
Yesterday, is a kinswoman of Miss Pear
son, who was assaulted on September
Srd, for which Floyd was lynched. More
trouble may arise.