The age-herald., 1900-10-03
THE TERRIBLE FATE
 OF A BLACK BRUTE
Wallace Townsend Burned at the Stake at Eclectic
 Small Town in Eimore County.

Virgil Miller, a young negro whom he had just arrested for burglary, in the crimes at Eclectic and that a mob was coming to take him from the jail. He immediately sent the prisoner through the country in the charge of Deputy Williams to Montgomery Shortly after Deputy Williams left We tumpka the mob appeared and ascertain- ing that the prisoner had been sent here half dozen or more of them boarded the train and came to the city. It was their purpose to beat the deputy here and in- tercept him before he reached jail, but they were a few minutes too late. When they arrived portion of the party went to a livery stable to secure tools to go out and meet the deputy but he was found at the jail, and the men will have to return home It Is not believed that the mob will come to Montgomery.
 Miller Made Confession
 While coming across the country with the deputy, Miller made a confession to Deputy Williams, which reveals most diabolical plot. He told the deputy that on the night of September, when Miss Pierson was as- saulted at Eclectic that he was not pres ent with Zebe Floyd and others, as had been charged by Townsend, but that Floyd had attempted to have him go saying that Townsend would be present. According to Miller's story, if the party could not ac- complish their purpose at Pierson's they were to go to the home of John Thomas Johnson, and failing there, keep up their efforts until some white woman was found.
 It will be recalled that Zebe Floyd was mobbed on September for assaulting Miss Kate Pierson September 8. Miss Pierson was a cousin of Mrs. Harrington and the negro hanged was a nephew to the one burned. Miller said he was sleeping with Floyd on the night Miss Pierson was as- sauted, and that during the night he was awakened by Floyd, who, in reply to a question, said he was going to get some- thing to eat. Shortly afterwards he heard Floyd remark on the outside: Here is the damned club I am looking for" He sup posed Floyd had reference to the stick used to open Miss Persons window.
 The deputy asked Miller why he had not reported this matter to the sheriff, and he replied that it was because Jake and Frank Floyd and four others had threatened his life if he divulged the story.
 Tonight Jake and Frank Floyd were ar- rested at the Union Passenger Station just as they were preparing to board train for Birmingham. They were placed in jail here.
 Their fleeing is taken as conclusive evil dence that they are accomplices in the conspiracy. All of the nine negroes named as members of the gang are less than 2l years of age. The sheriff is making an ef- fort to arrest the other four, and he is be- ing assisted by the enraged mob.
 Other necktie parties at Elmore are not improbable. As Deputy Sheriff Williams left the county jail about Il o'clock to- night one of the men who came on the train from Wetumpka remarked to him: "I am damned sorry you drove so fast. We would liked to have surprised you a few miles out"
 At o'clock tonight all is quiet about the county jail, and Sheriff Waller says he does not anticipate trouble.