The Saint Paul globe., 1901-08-26
NEGRO CRIMINAL TAKEN FROM
JAIL AT WINCHESTER AND
INCINERATED
THE AUTHORITIES PowERLEss
Population for Miles Around Turned
Out to See the Execution
of the Doomed
Man
VICTIM MADE NO 0UTCRY

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Aug. 25-
Harry Noles. the negro who criminally
assaulted and shot to death Mrs. Charles
Williams, wife of prominent farmer
near Winchester, Tenn, last Friday, was
captured early this morning at Water
Tank, near Cowan, Tenn. He was taken
to Winchester by his captors and placed
haste to try to barricade the Jail and
protect the prisoner. Soon an angry
mob of several hundred men gathered,
but Assistant Attorney General Matt
Newnittaker appeared and made a speech
to the crowd. He appealed to them to
assist him in allaying excitement and
upholding the majesty of the law. He
promised to reconVene the grand jury to-
morrow to promptly indict the negro and
have him speedily tried at the term of
court, assuring them that mis- conviction
and legal execution was foregone con-,
clusion. This appeal was supplemented
by Judge J. ]. Lynch, Capt. w. p. Toll
ley, Joseph M. Littleton, Foster Ram
sey and others. No sooner had their ap-
peals been made than several hundred
citizens from the neighborhood wnere
the crime had been committed came up
and augmented the crowd to thousands.
They swept forward upon the jail, over
powered the sheriff and his deputies
took the prisoner and started for the
scene of the crime, twelve miles distant
at 1918 a. m. The mob was orderly but
determined. 1t seemed that the whole
population for miles around had turned
out to see the fate of the wretch. A
procession three miles in length followed
the mob to the Williams home. Arriv-
ing at point near the scene of the
crime the negro was placed on stump
and given chance to make a statement.
He mounted a stump stolidly ano
laughed as he began his statement. He
said:
Tell all my sisters and brothers to
meet me in glory. 1 am going to make
that my home. Tell my mother to meet
me where parting will be no more He
was then asked if anyone else was i'm
plicated in the crime. Noles stated en-
phatically that there was no one else i'm
plicated but himself
why did you kill Mrs Williams 90
he was asked.
II just done it because had nothing
else to do"
He finished his statement at 1:9O D.
m. He was taken from the stump, car
ried to tree near by, bound to a tree
with chains and his body was saturated
with oil. At lao match was applied
and instantly the quivering body was
enVeloped in flames Fence rails were
pitched about the burning body, and soon
life was extinct. The negro made no out
cry at any time, and died as stolidly
: as stole. There were no disorderly
scenes about the burning body At least
5000 people witnessed the horrible fate
of the negro. Many remained until
nightfall, augmenting the blaze until the
body was entirely consumed. They then
departed for their homes quietly.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
Lying on the floor of the family room.
her face splashed with clotted blood. and
the oxen planks stained with the same
drops, Charles Williams found his de-
voted young wife Friday afternoon when
he returned from marketing his wheat in
the little town of Maxwell. A heavy bull
let had gone through her head. life was
completely extinct, and her two baby
children were crying aloud with grief and
fear. The eldest boy, aged five. told what
had occurred. The young mother had
been shot and killed by Henry Noles. a
negro hand upon Williams place. AS the
mortally wounded woman sank to the
floor Noles shot at the boy the bullet
grazing the childs head. Then he fed
to the woods.
Williams neighbors were stirred to the
pitch of eXacting merciless and summary
justice. On receipt of news of the crime
Sheriff Stewart departed for the scene
with blood MOUNDS. "A posse Of deter
mined citizens well armed and provided
with a rope was also on Noles' trail 1t
is reported that the motive was robbery
and 500 was obtained by the murderer
Mr. Williams is a farmer well to do and
one of the most prominent residents of
his section of Franklin county. The dead
woman was a member of one of the old
est and most respected families in the
county. OF the two children. the eldest
is just five years of age They were the
only witnesses of the tragedy.