Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-01-16
BURNED AT STAKE.
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agony. Il have told you that / am in
nocent. / can't tell you any more. l
did not do it,
The suggestion to take the man to
the place of the murder met with in
Stant approval and the crowd, carrying
the negro, pushed on towards Fourth
street. He was thrown into a wagon
which was started for the vicinity of
Lawrence avenue and Spruce streets
followed by the crowd.
At 5.15 o'clock, Alexander was brought
to the scene of the murder Of Pearl
Forbes at the corner of Lawrence ave
nue. and Spruce street and there semi
circle was formed. Alexander was brought
up in a wagon with dozen men. The
wagon was stopped in front Of the ravine
and Alexander was showed forward into
full view of the crowd. \ howl went up
which was quickly hushed as the prisoner
raised his shacked hands and began to
speak, but the crowd drowned his trem-
bling voice
Long before the wagon containing the
doomed man arrived at the place crowd
had gathered. Many carried rails, and
boards Several seized railroad irons and
carried them to the ravine.
"A railroad iron was planted upright in
the mud and made fast to cross pieces of
metal Around the improvised stake wood
and boards We're piled and to this the
man was chained in a standing position.
Coal oil was then poured over him. Be-
fore the match was applied, John Forbes.
father of the murdered girl, stepped up
to Alexander and said:
Are you guilty of numbering my
daughter?'
Il don't know what you have me here
for. said Alexander.
Forbes replied: For killing my girl on
this very spot
Mr. Forbes, if that's Your name, YOU
have the wrong man" said the negro.
Your burning an innocent man. You
took adLyantq4ee of me- You gave me no
show. Can | see my mothcr?
4 in the crowd called for the
mother but she was not in the crowd.
,AleXander then said: VIII you let me
! shake hands with all my friends
| You have no friends in this crowd, you
damned beast" was the reply.
| Coal oil was then applied for the sec
ond time and while it was being done
| Alexander called to acquaintances in the
| crowd and said eOodby to them. He
| talked nationally until John Forbes, the
father II the murdered girl. lighted the
/ match. Alexander was again asked to
make confession but ne replied that he
/ h3d nothing TO san.
\ AS the flames ieaped about him Alex
andcr turned ghaStlv hue and claSping
his hands together. began to sway to and
| fro. while the crowd yelled.
In five minutes the negro was hanging
| limp and liweleSS b. the chains. AS soon
} as the crowd saw that life was extinct
/ it began to slowly disperSc. hundreds,
! however. stayed 10 the last. Men kept
| piling on wood all the time until about Z
| O'Clock, when the flames were allowed 10
die down.
| When the fire had burned out sufficient
| ly to allow the crowd to approach the re
! mains Of Alexander there was 4 wild
scramble To obtain relics Bits Of charred
flesh, pieces Of chain. scraps Of wood and
everything that could possibly serve as a
! souvenir was seized on with morbid
! eaEerucSS.
/ After Alexander's arrest he was taken
! before Miss Roth. who identified him.
| Since then the mob has surrounded the
pcnitentiary day and night. Lately the
! crowd became so formidable that Gov.
Stanley. in response to a telegram from
I Warden Tominson, ordered two compa-
nics of militia To be in readiness to start
| for IeaVenworth at a moments notice.
GOV. Stanley ordered Warden Tomnn-
son to refuse to turn Alexander over to
the sheriff unless he agreed i'll writing to
\ protect him.