Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-03
A BLACK RAPE F|END
BURNED At THE STAKE.
WINFIELD TOWNSEND REDUCED TO
ASHES AFTER COMPOSING
HIS CRIME.
VICTIMS HUSBAND LIT FIRE
WHICH WAS SOON BLAZING AND
CRACKING ABOUT THE
WRETCHED NEGRO.
Admitted That He Had Been Impli-
Gated in Similar Crimes Before.
and With Another Brute Had
Planned to Ravfsh Other White
WOmen-WhOIe Community Turn
ed Out and Aided in the Frightful
Execution.

WETUMPKA, Ala, October win
field Townsend, alias Floyd, a negro,
was burned at the stake in the little
town of Eclectic, fifteen miles from
this place, half hour after Slidni ght
this morning.
The crime with which he was charg
ed was an attempted assault upon Mrs.
Bonnie Harrington, whose husband
set fire to the brands which reduced
Townsends body to ashes.
The negro Is nephew of the negro
Floyd, who was hung in the Wetump
ka jail week before last for attempted
assault Mr. Harrington was engaged
at a cotton gin at 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
twenty cents from her. She told him
she had no change. Then the negro
left, but returned in about ten min
utes.
The woman's screams were heard
by Bob Nichols, another negro, VINO
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 peo-
pie left their wagons in the road and
their plows in the field and gathered for
pursuit of the negro.
The crowd divided and secured the
woods near the scene of the crime, and
others went to the penitentiary 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 tree in
llOlI VI OulOu SlOle vi lHc OutohllI 70
Of the town. The crowd coming up
soon discovered the negro sitting on a
limb. He was brought down at once
and taken to the scene of 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 about II o'clock a crowd of several
hundred was in the little village. The
negro was then taken to the edge of the
village, and surrounded by the mob, he
shivered with fear. The preparations
for death were quickly made A rope
was flung over the limb of a big oak
and hundred stood read to lend hand
at the rope.
Then halt was called and the man
ner of death discussed by the mob. To
decide the matter, vote was taken,
and the balloting showed majority
of the crowd to favor death at 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 fired by the husband OF
the negro's victim. 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 to the crime, and said he was
also implicated with Alexander Floyd,
who was hung couple Of weeks ago,
for an attempted assault on Miss Kate
Pearson. He said that ne and Floyd
had planned for other crimes of like
character, but that Floyd being hung
put a stop to them.