The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-20
THE MURDER OF LITTLE LOUISE
FROST FEARFULLY AVENGED
NO EFFORT AT G0NCEALMENT
Negro Taken From the Sheriff of
lincoln County, Colorado, and Ike
cuted Upon the Spot where the Crime
Was Committed-His Executioners
Act Deliberately and without Excite
ment or DIscussIon-The Negroes
Terrible Agony.

1ALAFOIS OlO NNONGiIIDcI 1O.-SLd4Icu
TO a railroad rail set firmly in the
ground on the exact spot where his
crime was committed, Preston Porter,
Jr., or Is he was Familiarity known,
John Porter, this evening, paid a terri
BILE penalty for his deed. 1t was 6:25
o'clock when the father of the murder
ed girl touched the match to the fuel
which had been piled around the ne
gro, and twenty minutes later a last
conclusive shudder told that life was
extinct.
What agony the doomed boy suffered
while the flames shriveled up his flesh
E.a1a oply be guessed from the terrible
lions of his face and the cries
4ve from time to time.
eXecutioners, who numbered
IT 300 citizens of Lincoln county,
not the least semblance of the or
binary mob. Their every act was de-
Iiberate, and during all the repair
tions, as we'll as throughout the suf-
ferings of the negro, hardly an un-
necessary word was spoken. GrimIy
they stood in a circle about the fire un-
til the body was entirely consumed and
then quietly they took their way back
10 LLLlOn, whence they departed for
their homes shortly afterwards.
Preston Porter did not seem to real
ize the awful punishment hat he was
destined to undergo. AS he had eXhib-
tied Indifference to the enormity of his
crime, so he seemed to ack all under
standing OF its terrible consequences.
For more than an hour, while prepa-
ratiOns for his execution We're in pro-
gress, he stood mute and sullen among
the 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 oil was applied to the wood
and after a brief pause Richard w.
Frost, the father of little Louise Frost,
whose cruelty mutilated body was
found one week ago on that very spot,
applied a match.
For a moment but a little Pickering
flame arose. Then the oil blaZed up,
sparks flew into the air and the wood
began to crackle. Almost instantly the
negTo's trousers caught fire.
Even though the flesh must have been
ScOrched, he did not utter a sound. The
1ames cTept slowly upward on his cloth
Eg, the sparks flew up i'm a cloud of
- ~ SAlIOh0- OANCL I'LL = LIS 11Sdo
frightful expression changed his
~Vith a sudden ~convulsive Juggling he
stSetched his head as far { from the
rapidly increased flames as possible
and uttered a cry of pain. "Oh, my
God, let me go, men. I've got some
thing rIOre to tell you. Please let me
10. oh, my God, my God"
In terrible Screeching these words, the
first he had uttered aloud, came from
the negro. a terrible Juggling at the
chainSi A succession of awful groanS
and screams! The ,negro's agony was
at last breaking down his sullen COM
posture. 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 dropp-
ed from them. The body then fell away
from the fire, the head lower than the
feet, still fastened to the rail. This
was not expected, and for a few min
uteS those StOlid men were .~diScOncern-
ed; they feared that the only remain
ing chain would give way. If this had
occurred the partly burned human be-
ing would have dashed among them in
his blazing garments. And not many
would have cared to capture him again.
Dul liz NIASA IlOiu Aool' LIN oOoJ "No
then in such a position that only the
legs We're in the fire.
The cries of the wretch were redou-
bled and he again begged to be shot.
Some wanted to throw hin over into
the fire, others tried to dash oil upon
him. Boards were carried and a large
pile made over the PROSTATE body.
They were soon ignited and the terrible
heat and lack of air quickly rendered
the victim unconscious, bringing death
a few moments later.
This terrible ceremony, out upon the
eting prairie, concluded the second
n Rsedy, the terrible avenging of the
Throughout the entire affair but lit
; tie was said. AS they had calmly pre-
pared for the avenging, so the people
Of the eastern part of the state carried
81 their plan coolly and deliberately.
There was not a hitch in the entire
proceedings. Not a weapo was drawn;
there was no angry discussion. After
the fire had burned low they told each
other good night and they went home.
They did not stop to discuss the affair.
The train bearing the negro in Gus
tody of Sheriff Freeman and his depu-
ties, arrived in Limon at 3:45 o'clock
p. m. The cars were crowded with
newspaper reporters and people who
were curious to see the negro executed.
R. W. Frost, the murdered girls
father, was one of the passengers.
When the train stopped, sixteen men,
who had been selected by the vigi-
lance committee, entered the train and
demanded the prisoner from the sheriff
Their every action was marked by
calmness and determination. The Off
Ger protested in the name of the law
and asked the men TO allow him &c
take his prisoner to the county jail a
Hugo, but his protests were disregard,
ed.
One man carried a rope on which hat
been formed a hangman'S moose. Thi:
was Tipped over the negro's neck. i
was first that the negro
was to be executed by hanging. Many
Including the father of the negro's vic
~;tSrrayested that such a death would
TO the method of death to tin,
outraged father. He decided upon burn
ing at the stake
sk5e train was then allowed to pro
ceyaTand at Lake Station, about thre,