Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-08-14
Negro Burned at the Stake.

Birmingham, Ala, August =
With agonizing screams and his eyes
bulging from his head, John Wesley
Pennington, negro, was burned at
the stake near Enterprise, Ala, be-
fore crowd of FIVE hundred enraged
and determined citizens of Coffee
county this morning. The assem-
blage was composed of both whites
and blacks, and though the suffering
wretch pleaded for mercy and franti-
cally endeavored to break the chains
that tightly bound him, not trace
of sympathy was shown on the har-
dened faces that peered at him
through the flames. Pennington had
committed brutal assault upon Mrs.
J. @. Davis, the wife of one of the
most prominent farmers of Coffee
county, and confessed his guilt.
The crime was committed yester-
day afternoon while Mrs. Davis was
gathering vegetables in her garden.
She was STOPPING over plucking to-
matoes when Pennington slipped up
behind her and threw her to the
ground. He choked the fear stricken
woman into insensibility, accom-
plished his intention and fled through
the woods near by. AS soon as she
regained her senses Mrs. Davis
orawled to the house and told her
husband what had happened. A
large posse was quickly organized
and, with bloodhounds, they chased
the negro until early in the morning,
when he was captured in a swamp.
Pennington was bound hand and
foot and taken back TO the Davis
home for Identification.
Word of the assault on Mrs. Davis
had been sent by runners for miles
around Enterprise and every farmer
in the neighborhood had left his
plow to join in the search. Some OF
them were too late to join the pur-
suing party and went to the Davis
hon and awaited their return
Tire is not telegraph office in Cof-
fc' count, but the news quickly
tr;' "lrd and when the posse arrived
IN, IN min with Pennington ther,
W at least five hundred persons
nert lear We Davis residence
a " At srout went up when tho
prisoner was seen by the crowd, bu,
Al signal The men withdrew to tn,
w"ous and quietly awaited The result
vi the meeting between Pennington
AMI Mrs. Davis.
Mrs.. Davis Immediately recognized
lin and tic negro broke down and
wept. lie admitted having commit
ted the assault and pleaded fol
mercy, but with cries of terror tn,
trembling negro was dragged from
the house and into the woods, whcr.
the crowd had gathered. Evidently
expecting the confession several o
the citizens had already driven {
stake in the ground and as the mer
approached with Pennington botf
whites and blacks were piling brush
wood around the iron pipe. The
negro saw his doom, and with ar
awful scream of terror fell to the
ground in faint.
He was quickly revived and
dragged to the stake, while the
crowd stood silently by. The fright.
ened man was limp and had to be
held up while the chains were fast.
ened around his neck and body
When all was ready the cry war
given and the crowd stood back.
A match was applied to the pile
and, with oil to feed upon, the tiny
flame soon burst into roaring fire
The terrified negro again pleaded
for mercy in the most agonizing
tones and prayed to God that those
around him might perish. lie then
called upon the Maker for forgive
ness and as the flames leaped ul
and encirclcd his neck an uncarthly
shrek was heard and the mans eyes
almost bulged out Of the sockets
by this time the fire had gained
such headway that nothing could b,
seen except a wriggling motion in
the center of the circle Of fire. A
deathly silence cnvclc"ed the awfu
sight and in few minutes the flames
had sufficiently snbsidcd to see tha,
Pennington's head had fallen forward
and hung limp over the iron chain
The body was quickly consumed and
all of Pennington that remained
was pile Of ashes. The crowd thcr
quietly dispersed.
M LID HN-, M