The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-11-20
A HORRIBLE PENALTY.
Preston Porter, a COlored Lad, Dies
at the Hands of Mob.
Taken to the Spot Where He MUIR
dered Little Louise Frost, He
Was Chained to "A Railroad
Rail- and Burned.

Oh the exact spot. where his hCHuiSH
crime was committed, Preston Por-
ter. jr, or, as he was Familiarity
! known, John Porter, Friday evening
paid a terrible penalty for his deed.
1t was 6:25 o'clock when the father
of the murdered girl touched the
match to the fuel which had been
piled around the Negro. and 20 min
utes later a last convusive shudder
told that life was extinct. What ago
ny the doomed boy suffered while the
flames shriveIed up his flesh could
only be guessed from the terrible con-
tortions of his face and the cries he
gave from time to time.
For more than an hour. while prep
arations for his execution were in
progress, he stood mute and sullen
among the avengers. When every
thing was ready he walked to the
stake with firm step, pausing as he
reached the circle of broken boards
| TO Eneel 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 around 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 little Pickering flame arose.
| Then the oil blazed up, sparks flew
into the air and the wood began to
craeBle. Almost Instantly the Ne
gro's trousers caught fire. At first
he did not utter sound
Not an oath escaped him, but he
begged and pleaded to be shot. Sud
denly 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 suppl
cation. while burning pieces of cloth
ing dropped 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 minutes those stolid men
were disconnected; they feared that
the only remaining chain would give
way. If this had occurred the partly
burned human being would have
dashed among them in his blazing
garments, and not many would have
cared to capture him again. But the
chain held fast. The body was then
in such position that only the legs
were in the fire. The cries of the
wretch were redoub1ed, and he again
begged to be shot.
The flames crept slowly upward on
his clothing, the sparks flew up in q
cloud of pale smoke Porter turned
MS head and a frightful expression
changed his face With a sudden con-
vulsive Juggling he stretched his head
as far from the rapidly increasing
flames as possible and uttered a cry
of pain.
"Oh, my God! men, let me go! I've
got something more 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, succession of awful
groans and screams--the Negroes ago
ny was at last breaking down his sui
len composure.
Some wanted to throw him over
into the fire; others tried to dash oil
on him. Boards were carried and a
large pile madegover the PROSTATE
body. They soon were ignited, and
the terrible heat and lack Of air quick
ly rendered the victim unconscious,
bringing death a few moments later.
The train bearing the Negro, in
custody of Sheriff Freeman and his
deputies, arrived in Limon at 3:45
p. m. The cars We're crowded with
newspaper reporters and people who
were curious to see the Negro execut-
ed. Richard Frost, the murdered
girls father, was one of the passen-
gers. When the train stopped 16 men
who had been selected by the vigil
lance committee entered the train and
demandedsthe prisoner from the sher-
if. Their every action was marked
by calmness and determination. The
officer protested in the name of the
law and asked the men to allow him
to take his prisoner to the county
Jail at Hugo, but his protests were
disregarded.
One man carried a rope, one end of
which had been formed into a hang
mans moose. This was slipped over
the Negroes neck. It was at first an
nounced that the Negro was to be ex-
ecuted by hanging. Many, including
the father of the Negroes victim, pro-
tested that such a death would be too
easy, and it was finally decided &c
leave the method of death to the
father. He decided upon burning at
the stake. The train was then allow
I'd 70 proceed.