The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-11-23
Twentieth Century Barbarian.

papers held up their hands in holy
horror at the spectacle, classed it
with other southern outrages on
the negro population, and implied,
at least, that such barbarity was OF
southern origin and a southern
practice. Such a position was q
false one and The UNION 80 pro-
nounced it at the time.
But twentieth century barbarism
reached its zenith in Colorado last
Friday. At Limon, in that state, a
few days before, Preston Porter,
negro, outraged aud murdered lit
tie l4.year old Louise Frost. Por-
ter was captured by representatives
of the law and when put to the test
confessed his guilt He was later
taken from the authorities by amob
"f 700 men, taken to the scene of
his crime, chained to stake and
there burned to death in the pres
ence of the tnrong Of men. The
father OF the neRro's victim applied
the torch. The scene that followed
battles description. TH4 UNION pre-
sents brief extract from a report
of the affair given by the Associated
Press. 1t says:
The flames crept slowly upward on
his clothing, the sparks flew up in u
cloud OF pale smoke. Porter turned
his head, and a frighttul expression
changed his face. With sudden con-
vulsise tugging he stretched his head
as far from tho rapidly increasing
flames as possible. and uttered cry OF
pain.
"ob, my God, let me go, men I've
rot something more to tel. you.
P'ease let me go. o, my God, my
g d!!''
In terrible screeches these words, the
first he ha1 uttered aloud, came from
the negro. A terrible Juggling at the
chains. a succession OF awful groans
aud screams, the negro's agony was at
ast breaking down his eullen conpos-
are.
Not an oath escaped him, but he beg
ged 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 drop
ped from them. The body then fell
away from .he fire, the head lower
than the feet, still fastened to the rail
The body was then in such a position
that only the legs were In the fire.
The cries of the wretch we're redoubled,
and he again begged to be shot. Some
wanted to throw him over into the fire,
others tried to dash oil upon him.
Boards were carried, and q large pile
made over the prostrats body. They
soon were ignited, and the terrible
heat and lack Of air rendered the VIC
tim unconscious. +.
Mob rule in the south never pre-
sented scene more revolving than
this. The southern states have had, !,
and they still have, their crimes
against the black man, but in no in
stance has twentieth century bar.
barism, with all of our boasted civ
ilization and its christianizing agen-
cies, been more vividly portrayed
than in Colorado, northern state.
The UNION has no word of sym
pathy or defense for such degener-
ates as Porter, but it is safe to say
that had the victims skin been
white instead OF black no such ven
geance would have beer dealt out
Porter. True, he may have been
|lynched, but lynching 10 not to be
compared to the sickenisg and re-
voting scene depicted above. Nat.
ural dislike for the negro is, there
fore, to some extent responsible for
A the action of this Colorado mob, and
the atrocity Of the negro. crime
4 famed this natural dislike into a
4 flame Of swift aud terrible ven.
4 geance.
4 The average citizen does not have
i to visit the states of the old south
Ito discover the white man S dislike
4 for the negro. Deny it or not, as
#I.he likes, he will find it right a
home. Tie average white citizer
.lffeeis that he is tn. intellectual su
i perior OF the average negro. Brin.
!. the propositinn closer to home ane
Z consider it honestly for a moment
& Supposing that negro voters herr
4 in South Dakota outnumbered TIL,
white voters-does any reader o
The UNION suppose that the wiit
!. minority would willingly see tn
state government administered b,
men whom they naturally con side
are their intellectual interiors? w
believe not. You would see riRh
here 10 South Dakota, as We hav
seen in several southern states Il
which precisely this condition pre-
8 etvails, an educational qualiHcatio
q Tor . property qualification, or both