Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-17
BURNED At The STAKE
Young Potter. the Negro Rapist,
Suffers Terrible Punishment for
His Crime.
Taken to the Scene Of Louise
Frost's Murder and Roasted
Alive.
Colorado Mob After Two Days
Of Effort Secure Their
Victim.

StlEEfEEI
on the exact spot where his tiendish
crime was committed, Preston Porter,
Jr., or, as. he was Familiarity known,
John Porter, last evening paid a terri
BILE penalty for his atrocious deed.
II was 6:23 o'clock when the father of
the murdered girl touched the match to-
the fuel piled around the negro. and
twenty minutes later a las. convulsive
shudder told that life was extinct.
What agony the doomed brute suffered
while the flames shriveled up his flesh
rible contortion of his face and the
cries he CAV from time TO time. The
executioners, who numbered about 300
citizens of Lincoln county, had not the
least semblance of the ordinary mob.
Their every act was cool II deliber-
ate and during all the preparations. as
well as thruout the sufferirgs of the
negro. hardly an4unnecessary word was
uttered. Grimly they stood in a circle
about the fire until the. body was quite
consumed and then took their way back
I ~ W. ~ -
for their homes shortly afterwarG.
Preston Porter did not seem to real-
ize the awful punishment that he was
destined 10 undergo. AS he had eNhib-
ited Indifference to the enormity of his
crime. so he seemed to lack all under
standing of its terrible consequences.
For mora thar an houi while prepa-
ration for his execution We're in prog
.BAl A. ~ .ta.gl =, !, 4,L ;. ,,J =-3.fla,& I. ,o1,y1 q
his avengers When everything was
ready he walked to the stake With \
firm step. pausing as he reached the
circle of broken boards TO knsel IN
prayer. He was allowed 10 take his
time. He arose and placed his back 70
the iron stake and half a dozen men
wound chairs about his body and
limbs.
kerosene oil was applied to h 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 monaent but a
lirtle Pickering lame arose. Then the
Dill blazed up. sparks flew into the an
and the wood began to crackie. Al
most Instantly the rapists trousers
caught fire. Even tho the flesh must
have been scorched he did not utter 9
sound. The flames crept slowly up
ward on his clothing, the sparks lying
up in a. cloud of pale smoke. Porter
turned his head and a frightful eNprss-
sion of agony changed his face. Witt
a sudden ~convulsive Juggling he
stretched his head as far from the rap
idly increasing flames as possible aIi1
uttered a cry of anguish.
..Oh. my Cod! Let me go-ment I've
got something more to tell You. Please
let me go, o, my God! My Cod
In terrible ~screeches thess wordsrthe
frst he had uttered aloud-cane from
The doomed negro.
A terrible tugging at the chains, g
succession OF awful groans and screams
the Negroes agony was at last break:
ing down5his sullen composure. Not al
oath escaped him. but he begged ant
besseched his executioners to shoe
him. Suddenly the rope holding hi:
hands burned thru. Their his head an
shoulders slipped thru the chains. Fo
arms We're raised in supplication 70,
mercy while burning pieces of clothing
dropped from them. The body Their fel
E NV dS W ! 21NoN ny
than the feet. still fastened to the iroi
rail. The body was then In such a posi-
tion that only the legs We're in the fire
The cries Of the wretch We're redouble'
and he again begged to be shot. Som
wanted to throw him over into the fire
others tried to dash oil upon him. Board
We're carried and a large pile made8ove
the PROSTATE body. They soon We're ig
nlted and the terrible heat and lack o
cir quickly rendered the victim uncon
scious, bringing death a few moment
later.
This terrible ceremony, out Upon tn
rolling prairie, concluded the secon
tragedy upon that spot, the terribl
avenging Of the first.
Thru the entire affair but little wa
said. AS they had calmly prepared fo
the ayenging, sc the people of the eas,
ern part Of the state carried out the
p~lanscoolly and deliberately. There wa
not a hitch in the entire proceeding. NJ
a Weapon was drawn, there was no ar
cry discussion. After the fire ha
burned 10y they told each other goo
night and they Went home. They di
not stopato discuss the horrible affair.
The train bearing the negro, in til
custody Of Sheriff Freeman and h.
deputies, arrived at Limon at 3:45 D. n
The car were crowded with newspape
reporters and people who were curiou
10 see the negro executed. 4. w. Eros
The murdered child's father, was one I
HE passengers. When the train stoppe
axteen men who had been selected b
/ the vigilance committee entered ii
Train and sternly demanded the prison
lr from the sheriff. Their every actio
was marked by calmness and determ
nation. The officer protested in II
name OF the law, and asked the man
allow him to take his prisoner to tt
county Jail at Hugo. These protes,
were disregarded with scorn. One ma
carried a rope, Of which had bee
formed a hangman's moose. This WI
slipped over the negro's neck. 1t W.
hrst announced that the negro was
be executed by hanging. Many, inclue
ing the father Of the negro's poor vi,
I tim, protested that such death wou,
be too easy for the fend, and it WI
dnalIy decided to leave the method
death to the outraged father The ira
was then allowed to proceed, and
Lake Station, about three miles fro
Lamon and near. the scene Of the n,
gro's awful crime, the party left ii
train and began preparations for Il
deed of vengeance.
Spggestions OF mutilation befol
hurnffig were made. but Mfr. Frost n,