The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-06
NEGRO DIES BY FIRE
Diabolical Deed Quickly Avenged
By Citizens Of Florida Town.
WOMAN ASSAULTED AND SLAIN
Victims Body Saturated with OIL ana
Match AppIied-Nothlne
But Charrcd Bones
Were Left.

Fred Rochelle, a negro thirty-five
years of age, who at noon Tuesday
criminally assaulted and then muir
dered Mrs. Rena Taggard, well
known and respectable white woman
of Barlow, Fla, was burned at inc
stake in that town Wednesday az
ternoon in the presence OF threng
of people. The burning was on the
scene OF the negro's crime within 100
yards of the principal thoroughfare OF
Barlow.
The assault and murder was one OF
the coolest blooded crimes ever COM
mitted in Florida. At ~ o'clock Tues
day morning Mrs. Taggart, who was
born and reager in the place and was
a woman Of good family and reputa-
ton, went fishing alone in small row
boat that she kept at the city bridge
over Piaco creek. This is In full view
of the public thoroughfare.
A few minutes before noon Mrs.
Taggart, desiring to return home, row.
ed her boat to the bridge and made 1t
fast. A negro man was fishing from
the bridge at the time. Mrs. Taggart
started home and had only proceeded
a few steps in the swamp toward the
open prairie and thence to the street,
when she was approached by Rochelle,
who had been hiding in the swamp.
His Awful Crime.
He seized her and she broke loose
and, screaming, ran from the swamp
into the prairie, where he overlook
her, overpowered her and assaulted
her. After the assault, while she was
1rostrate, he held her with his hands
and knees and taking his knife from
his pocket cut her throat from ear to
ear, causing instant death. He then
walked to the negro who had been
fishing from the bridge, and who was
frightened, and asked him what he
should do with the body. He was told
to leave it where it was, but unheedful
of this request, he took the bleeding
form in his arms and carried 1t back
to the swamp, threw 1t down and es-
capped into the interior Of the swamp.
A few minutes later the crime had
been reported, and in less than an
hour practically the entire city was In
arms and well armed possess were
moving in every direction in search
of the criminal.
Rochelle was captured by two other
negroes three miles south Of the city.
Possess were Immediately on the trail,
but the capturers evaded detection
and succeeded in getting their prison
er quickly into the city and turning
him over to the sheriff Of Polk county.
Dragged to the Stake.
In less than ten minutes after the
transfer had been made, as If the news
had been flashed voluntarily through
out the city and neighborhood. the
streets became congested with people.
and the crowd, augmented as 1t march
ed, moved upon the jail. In spite OF
the sheriff and strong guard OF extra
deputies, who made every effort to
protect the negro from mob violence,
they secured the prisoner and took up
the march to the scene Of the crime.
He was half dragged, half carried to
the bridge, enveloped by great
throng Of people Of all ages. who were
resolute and determined, but quiet
and orderly.
The stake was the only suggestion
as to the proper expiation OF the
crime, and without organized effort
and yet with apparently unanimous
understanding a barrel was in readi-
ness and was placed by the stake on
the very spot where Mrs. Tasgart was
assaulted and murdered. On this the
negro was placed and chained to the
stake.
Louder and louder and more eesper.
ate grew his pleadings to God and
man for mercy, but in the great crowd
around him silence was the only re-
sponse. Before the chains around his
body had been made fast, cans OF
kerosene oil from many sources were
passed to the center, and one OF the
leaders stepped to the body and slowly
but deliberately poured 1t upon him
and his clothes, until clothes and bar
rel were well saturated.
In an instant the match was applied
and, as if by explosion, the blaze
quickly leaped skyward In volume.
The burning body could be seen only
as a dark object in the circle OF a
maddened, roaring flame. Then the
fire lessened in fury, and the writh-
ing body came back IN full view, but
already the groans had ceased and the
only evidence Of life was In the con-
tortions Of the muscles Of the limbs.
For fifteen minutes the body burned.
and In half hour from the minute
of the application Of the match only
the charred bones were left as re-
minder Of the negro's horrible crime
and his fate.