Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-11-22
THE STAKE
FRIGHTFUL PUNISHMENT For A
FIENDISH CRIME.
Negro Chained TO a Railroad Rail
on the Spot Where His Awful
Crime Was Committed Pays n
Terrible Penalty for HIS Deed
Father of His Victim Applies the
Torch-Suffers FrightfuI Agonies
While the Flames slowly shrivel
His Flesh.

railroad rail set firmly In the round
on the exact spot where his fiendish
crime was committed, Preston Porter,
Jr., or, as he is Familiarity known, John
Porter. last evening paid a terrible
penalty for his deed. 1t was 6:23
O'Clock when The father Of the MUIR
dered girl touched the match to the
fuel which had been piled around the
negro, and twenty minutes later a last
c~onvulsive shudder told hat life was
extinct. What agony the doomed boy
suffered while the flames shriveled his
flesh could only be guessed from the
terrible contortions of his face and the
cries he gave.
The eXecutioners numbered about
300 citizens of Lincoln county. They
had not the least semblance Of the
ordinary mob. Their every act was
deliberate, and during all the prepar-
atoms, as well rs throughout the suf-
ferings of the negro, hardly an un-
necessary word was spoken. Grimly
they stood in a circle about the fire
until the body was partly consumed,
and then quietly they took their way
back to Limon, whence they departed
for their homes shortly afterward.
Preston Porter did not seem to realize
The Awful
that he was destined to undergo. AS
he had exhibited Indifference to the
enormity of his crime, so he seemed
to lack all understanding Of it's ter
rible consequences. For more than an
hour while preparations for his execu-
ton were in progress he stood mute
and sullen among his avengers. When
everything was ready he walked to
the stake with a firm step, pausing
as he reached the circle of broken
boards. to kneel in prayer. He was
allowed to take his time. He arose
and placed his back to the iron stake
and half a dozen men wound chains
about his body and limbs. Kerosene
was applied to the wood, and after a
brief pause, fired by Frost, the father
of little Louise Frost, whose cruelty
mutilated body was found one week
ago on that very spot. The flames
crept slowly upward on his clothing,
the sparks flew up in a cloud of pale
smoke. Porter turned his head and a
frightfui expression changed his face.
With a sudden convulsive Juggling he
stretched his head as far from the
Idpluly. lICT6dSIuS lldilGS dS ppSSlDIS
and uttered the cry of pain.
"Oh, Ny God. Let Me Go, Men.
I've got something to tell you. Please
let me go. Oh, my God, my God" In
terrible screeches these words, the
first he had uttered aloud came from
the negro. A terrible Juggling at the
chains, a succession of awful groans
and screams, and the negro's agony
was at last breaking down his sullen
composure. Not an oath escaped him,
but he begged 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 fell
from them. The body then fell away
from the fire, the head lower than the
feet, still fastened to the rail. Boards
were carried and a large pile made
over the PROSTATE body. They soon
were ignited and the terrible heat
quickly rendered the victim uncon-
scious, bringing death a few moments
later. This ceremony out on the roll
ing prairie concluded the second trag-
edy upon that spot-the avenging of
the first.
Taken From the Sheriff.
The train bearing the negro in Gus
tody of Sheriff Freeman and his depu-
ties, arrived in LiEon at 3:45 p. m.
The ears were crowded with newspa-
per reporters and persons who were
curious to see the negro executed. The
murdered girls father was one of the
passengers. When the train stopped
sixteen men who had been selected by
the vigilance committee entered the
train and demanded the prisoner from
the sheriff. The officer protested in
the name of the state and asked the
men to allow him to take his prisoner
to the county Jail at Hugo. but his re-
quests were disregarded. One carried
a rope. A hangman's moose was
slipped Over the negro's neck. 1t was
at first announced hat the boy was
executed by hanging. Many, Including
the father of the negro's victim, urged
that such a death would be too easy,
and ii was finally decided to leave
the method of death to be selected by
the outraged father. He decided upon
burning at the stake. The train was
then allowed to proceed, and at Lake
station, about three miles from Limon
and near the scene of the negro's
crime, the party left the train and be-
gan preparations for the deco OF
avenging.