The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-03
DEATH AT THE STAKE
FEARFUL PUNISHMENT GIVEN A
woMAN's AssAILANT.
WAS ANOTHER SAM HOSE CASE
utsBAND or VICTIM APPLIED
TORCH TO THE PYRE.

townsend Attempted an Assault
tpon Mrs. harrington az Eclectic.
TraiI and Finally Treed Him-The
whole Town Turned Out and De-
cided 10 Burn Him nt the stake.
NeEro Confessed His Crime.
uetumpka. Ala. Oct 2--winheld Town
fs-s alias Floyd. a negro was burned at
,as sake in the little town Of Eclectic.
fnsen miles from this place, a half hour
arer midnight this morning.
THO negro's crime was an attempted as
SAUL on Mrs Lonnie Harrington, whose
tssnand set fire TO the brands which re-
s9-ed Townscnd's body 10 ashes.
Yesterday afternoon about o'clock the
negro. a nephew OF the negro Floyd, who
uaa hanged in the wetumpka Jail week
before last for attempted assault. at
tempted 10 outrage Mrs. Harrington. Mr.
harrington was engaged at cotton gtn
m Eclectic. and lives one mile ont OF
,oun. The negro came TO the house and
tod Mrs Harrington thai her husband
tai cent him 20 get twenty cents from
Ns- She told him she had no change.
Then tho negro left but returned IN
seout ten minutes The woman's screams
we're heard by Bob Nichols. another no
g. who was passing along che road at
~ time He ran to the house in time 20
o. the negro escape.
As soon as Mrs Harrington was restored
70 consciousness Nichols gave the alarm.
Tss news spread rapidly. All the stores
g. Eclectic were instantly closed; the gin
r.-es and sawmiils shut down: che people
ff their wagons In the road. and their
rou7 In che feld and gathered for pur-
sef of the negro The crowd divided.
some scouring the woods near the scene
q. ,he crime and others went to the peni-
pruarv for bloodhoupds
Negro freed by Dogs.
The eor~ were not brought 70 the scent
ru nearly dark They we're taken to
ubsre the neEro's tracks disappeared.a and
e exciting chase ensucd The dogs stop
pa aualy az a tree in front Of Odon's
store On the north outskirts OF Eclectic.
re crowd coming up soon discovered the
nts-o sitting on limb.
He was brought down al once and taken
4 "a the scene of his crime There he was
confronted hy his victim. Who positively
HarIaed him Word was sent 70 the other
fsar hing parties that the negro had been
found ana about II o'clock a crowd %
1 several hundred was gathered IN the lit-
/ Do age. The negro was taken 20 the
s3ss of the village ana surrounded by the
m-b shivering with fear Tho pre9ara-
uors for death were quickly made. A rope
was alng over the limb OF a big oak aud
8 ,urdred men STOOD ready 10 lend a hand
a. The rope.
Burned at the stake.
Then a halt was called and the manner
lath discussed by the mob. To decide
10 matter vote was taken and the
h.orng showed majority oe the crowd
favor death At the stake.
rre stake WAS prepared and The nesro
vas bound to Il with chains. Pine knots
acre piled about him and the fagots were
t-fi hy tho hus band OF the negro's vic
tn. As the flames leaped to
as wretch's flesh his Wild cries
rfoa God FOR mercy and help
oad 10 heard for miles The crowd
boxed on deaf to MS cries. and in an hour
e.. r'gro was reduced 10 ashes.
Townsend before being bound confessed
's rtme ana said he was also impil-
o'.i with Alex Floyd VINO was huns a
t'Hp0 u weeks ago for an attempted as
aaf oa M.ss Kate Pearson. in the at
tempt tina, time He said he and Floyd
taa planned for other crimes Of like char.
a.'r hut that Fioyd's being hanged pu'
ZOO TO them.
Implicated seven Others.
Townsend made a confession implcat-
i1s seven other negroes in his crime As
'as Tho second white woman assaulted
io 'aH vicinity within the month it Is be-
".fod there is a conspiracy among the ne.
g-9,s
'H' % tho negroes implicated In sh,
'9.i's or Of Townsend was IN jail here
.hhrs'l With burglary. and as threats 81
20 hns were made he was sent 10 Mont.
s'Her} tonight FOR safckeeplng The dep.
sheriff had wild drive OF fourteen
"''. 'hroush the country and had he beer
NF minutes iater crowd OF men who
-'' here hy train would have intercepted
hm
AI'er renching Montgomery two Other
who are implicated in the Grim,
ir.s'ed by the deputy. They are
''k fo,d and Jake Floyd brothers Of
''so leh Floyd. who was lynchel neat
'apsa Sept. o
.nsar coincidence is that Mrs. Har.
Hno was assaulted yesterday. IS
Nomar OF Miss Pearson. who wa,
'.''e4 on sept .. for which Zeb FloyC
~ vuahcd
~.'a trouble may arise
lhl lNEN'S CASE CALLED TT