The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-06-05
A FIEND LYNCHED.
Fred Rocheilsl Burned ct .he
Stake al Barlow, F!s.
HIS CRIME AN AWFUL ONE
Laid in Wait and Assaulted a
White Woman and
Then Cut He.
Throat

ln0N SuS FSi
Throat
Fred Rochelle, black negro 35 years
Of age, who at noon "Wednesday crimi-
nally assaulted and then murdered Mrs.
Rana TAggsrs, we'll known aud re-
spectacle white Eomsa OF 3artov, Fla,
was burned st the STA ehoze early Wed
nesiay evening in the presence Of q
tarong OF people. The burning was on
the scsne OF the negros crime within
100 yards of the principal thorcug afsre
Of this city.
The assault and murder was one Of
the boldest and colGest FLOODED crimes
ever committed in Florida. At 10
O'Clock yesterday morning Mrs. Tag.
CART, who was born and reared in this
place and was woman OF good family
and reputation, went fishing alone In
q small Tow boat that she kept at tie
city bridge over Placo creek. This is
in full view OF the public thoroughtsre.
A few minutes before uooh Mrs. Tag
CART, deciding 10 return home, roWed
her boat to the b1idge aod made It
fast. a negro man was fishing trcm
the bridge AZ the time. Mrs. Tsggar6
started homo and had proceeded only
few steps in the swamp toRard the
open prairie and thence 10 the street
when she vas approached by Rochelle,
who had been hiding IN the swamp.
He se;z ID her and size broke loose anu
screaming ran irom the sHamp Into the
prairie Wnere ne overlook her, oyerpoW-
cred her and assaulted her. After the
assault while she was PROSTATE ne held
her with his hands and knees and taking
his knife from his po ;ket cut her throat
from ear to ear, causing instant death.
He then walked to the negro who had
been fishing On the bridge and who was
thoroughly frightened ard asked him
what he should do with the BODY. He
was told to leave it where 1t Was, but
unheedful Of this request he took the
bleeding form in his arms and carried
it back to the swamp, threw it down
and escaped inso the interior Of the
swamp.
In a few N nutes the crime had been
reported AID IN less than an hour pcae-
tlcally the entire city was IN arms and
we'll armed posses Wer5 moving ID
every direction IN search Of the Grim
inai. Bloodnounds Here secured and
all night q frultless search Hss CON-
hnued. This morning no trace OF the
negro had been secured and the people
were becoming more desperate IN their
determination TO apprehend him as the
chances for his final escape seemed to
grow. About noen a courier arrived
announcing that lne Legro had been
captured by other negroes three miles
south of tne city. Posses we're imme.
d1ately on the trail, but the espturers
e7aded detection and succeeded in
getting their prisoner quickly into the
city and n turning MIN over to the
sheriff OF Polk county. In less than ten
minutes after the transfer had Desn
made, as if the news had bssn flashed
voluntarily Throughout the cry aad
neighborhood, the Streets we're con-
gessed with people, and the crowd,
augmented as it marched, moved upon
the Jail. In spike Of the sher.f ana
atrong guard OF extra deputies who
made every effort to protect nam from
mob violence, they secured the prls-
ooer and took up the march to the
scene Of the crime. BeWas haif dragged
half Carried 70 tne Bulge, enyeiope0 Dy
q great throng people Of ali ages, VINO
were resoluEe aao determined but quiet
and orderly, Sersam after seresm oroke
from The Wretch's quiVerlng ilps, fol-
flowed By groans ana prayers for mercy.
At the 5rlage the moo turned toward
the prairie and then into swamp and to
the scene Of the negro's horrible crime.
BY common consent burning was to be
the penalty. There We're no ropes, or
plans tor lynching oy Laogsng.
The stake Vas the only suggestion
to the proper eXplatlon Uf the crime
and without crgarlz d Effort and YET
with apparently unanimous under
standing a Darrei Was il Readiness and
R&s placed by the STAKE on the very
spos where Mrs. Taggart was assaulted
and murdered.
The negro was placed and chained to
the stake. Louder and louder and more
desperate grew his plesd,Dgs to God
and man for mercy, bat ID the great
crowd around him slis snoe was the only |
response. rrere we're no j.ers, no |
swearing, no disorder. Before the |
chains around lis body mad been made
fast, cans Of kerosene oil from many
sources were passed to the cen.re and
one Of the leaders stepped to the BODY |
and slowly but deliberately poured it |
upon him and his clothes until his |
clothes and the barrel were we'll sss-
urated. It vas then 6 o'clock. The
crowd was growing, business in the
city had practically been suspended
and all eyes were turned toUsrd the
scene. In an instant the match was !
applied. As if by explosion the blsze |
quickly leaped sk5wsrd in volume. The |
burning BODY could be seen only as a
dsrk object in the circle Of maddeped, |
roaring fame. Then the FIRE lessened |
in speed and the Writhing body came !
back in full view, but already the groans |
hsd ceased and the only evidence Of |
life was in the contortions Of the mus.
cles Of the limbs. For Is minutes the
body burned, and in a half hour from
the minute Of the applications Of the
match only the chsrred bones were left
as reminder of the negros horrible |
crime and his fate. The crowd dis
persed as orderly as it had gathered and
at $50 at night the city was quiet.
Ko.a4 IT, A.