The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-05
BURNED AT THE STAKE
NEGRO PAYS THIS TERRIBLE :PENALN
FOR HEIN0US CRIME
AFTER CONFESSION OF GUILT
He Is. Chained to a stake, Pine Faggots
Piled Around Him and h Torch APP
He C~onfesses Implication In a similar
Crime, for Which a Negro Was
Lynched a Fortnight Ago, and Others
Contemplated.

Wetumpka, Ala, October 2.-Winfield
Townsend, alias Floyd, a negro, was
burned at the stake in the little town
place, a half hour after midnight this
morning. The negro's crime was an at
tempted assault upon Mrs. Lennie Har-
rington, whose husband set fire to the
brands which reduced Townsend's
body to ashes. Yesterday afternoon
about 1 O'Clock the negro, a nephew of
the negro Floyd who was hung in the
Wetumpka jail week before last. for
attempted assault, attempted to outrage
Mrs. Harrington. Mr.. Harrington was
Engaged at a cotton gin in Eclectic and
lives one mile out of town. The negro
came to the house and told Mrs. Har-
r1nston that her husband had sent him
10 get 20 cents from her. She told him
she had no change. Then the negro
LETT, but returned in about ten min
uteS.
Inc screams were heard by
Bob Nichols, another negro who was
passing along the road at the time.
de ran to the house in time to see
the negro escape. AS soon as Mrs. Har-
rington was brought back to conscious
NaG i
Inc news spread rapidly. All the
gins and saw mills shut down; the
stores in Eclectic were closed; all the
people left their wagons in the road
and their plows in the field and gath
cred 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 dis
appeared and an exciting chase ensued.
The dogs stopped finally at a tree in
'front.' OF Odion's store on the outskirts
of the town. The crowd coming I'D
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 search
ing parties that the negro had beer
found, and about IL o'clock a crowd
of several hundred was in the little viii
Iage. The negro was then taken to the
edge of the village and, surrounded
by the mob, shivered with fear. The
preparations for death were quickly
arranged.
A rope was flung over the limb of a
big oak and a hundred men stood ready
to lend a hand at the rope.
Then a halt was called and the man.
ner of death discussed by the mob. To
decide the matter a vote was taken
and the balloting showed a 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 wretch's flesh his wild cries
upon God for mercy and help could be
heard for miles.
The crowd looked on, leaf to his
cries and in an the negro was re-
duced to ashes.
Townsend before being bound con-
fessed the crime and said he was also
Implicated with Alexander Floyd, who
was hung a couple of weeks ago for an
attempted assault on Miss Kate Pea
son., in the attempt at that time. He
said he n Floyd had planned for
other crimes of like character, but that
Floyd's being hung put a stop to
them.
Wetumpka, Ala, October 2.-TOwn
send made a confession duplicating
seven other negroes in his crime. A:
this is h second white woman as
saulted in this vicinity within a month
1T is believed there is a conspirac,
among the negroes. One of the negroe
implicated in the confession of Town
send was in Jail here charged will
burglary and as threats of lynchin.
were made he was sent to Montgomer,
tonight for safe keeping. The deput.
sheriff had a wild drive Of fourteen
miles through the country and had h
been thirty minutes later a crowd o
men who left here by train would hav
intercepted him.. After reachin,
Montgomery two other negroes VIII
ara imn1ioato6 in tho Prina Uoro q r
rested by the deputy. They are Franl
Floyd and Jake Floyd, brothers of tn
negro Floyd who was lynched at We
tumpka September 9TH.