The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-08-27
Mob Melted Out Awful
Punishmentto to Negro.
Died WITHOUT GROAN
Assaulted and Murdered 6
Woman--Shot at One of
Her Children Who
Saw the Crime.

Chattanooga. Tenn, Aug. 26.-
Henry Noles, negro, was burned by
mob OF citizens Sunday for GRIM
iraliy assaulting and shooting to
death Mrs. Charles Williams, wife OF
prominent farmer near Winchester,
Tenn, last Friday. Admitting his
crime and asking his friends to meet
him in glory, he met his fate without
q groan.
He was captured early Sunday
morning at water tank near Cowan,
Tenn, and was taken to Winchester
by his captors and placed in the
county Jail. Sheriff Stewart made
tect the prisoner. oon an angry mob
of several hundred men gathered, but
Assistant Attorney General Whit
taker appeared and made speech to
the crowd, urging them to assist in
allaying the excitement and uphold
ing the majesty of the law. He prom
ised to reconvene the grand jury to-
cay to indict the negro promptly and
have him speedily tried at the present
term Of court assuring the crowd that
his conviction aud legal execution
were foregone conclusion. This ap-
peal was supplemented by Judge ]. J.
Lynch, Captain w. w. Tolley and
others. No sooner had their appeals
been made than several hundred citi-
zens from the neighborhood where
tie crime was committed came up
and augmented the crowd to thou
sands. They swept forward upon the
jail, overpowered the sheriff and his
deputies, took the prisoner and start
ed at 1918 a. m. for the scele of the
crime, IL miles distant
The Mob Was Determined.
The mob was determined, and it
Ceemed that almost the entire popula-
tion for miles around had turned out
| TO see the fate of the wretch. The
procession followed the mob to the
| Williams home. Arriving at q point
in sight OF the scene of the crime the
negro was placed upon stump and
| given q chance TO make a statement
He mounted the stump stolidly and
laughed as he began his statement.
He said:
Tell all my sisters and brothers
to meet me in glory. l am going to
make that my home. Tell my mother
to meet me where parting will be no
more"
He was then asked as to whether
anyone else was implicated lin the
crime. Noles stated emphatically
there was no one implicated but him
self.
why did you kill Mrs. Williams?"
was asked.
II just done that because l had
nothing elseto do"
He was then taken from the stump,
bound to tree by chains and his
| bOdy saturated with oil
At lao p. m. a match was applied
and instantly the quivering body was
enveloped in flames. Fence rails
were piled about the burning body
and soon life was extinct: The negro
made no outcry at any time and died
as stolidly as a stole.
At least 5000 people witnessed the
horrible fate Of the negro. Many re-
NAMED until nightfall augmenting
the blaze until the body was entirely
consumed. They then departed for
their homes quietly.
Found His Wife Murdered.
Lying on the floor Of the family
room, her face splashed with clotted
bloow, Charles Williams found his
young wife Friday afternoon, when he
returned to his home. A bullet had
;inct, and her two baby children were
crying in grief and fear. The Oldest
hoy, aged 3, tod what had occurred.
The young mother had been shot and
killed by Henry Noles, a negro hand
upon the Williams place. AS the NOR.
tally wounded woman sank to the
floor, Noles shot at the boy, the bul.
let grazing the child's head. Then he
fed to the woods. Williams neigh.
bors were stirred to the pitch of ex.
acting merciless and summary ius.
tice. Hearing of the crime, Sheriff
Stewart departed for the scene with
bloodhounds. A posse of determined
citizens, we'll armed and provided
With rope, was also on Noles' trail.
1t is reported that the motive was
robbery and $50 was obtained by the
murderer. Mr.. Williams Is a farmer,
well-to-do, and one Of the most prom.
lpent residents of his section of
Franklin county. The dead woman
was member of one of the Oldest
End most respected families in the
country. The two children tha oIdor