The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-30
NEGRO BURNED AT STAKE
FLORIDA CITIZENS TAKE LAW INTO
 THEIR OWN HANDS.
Victim Had AssauIted and Then Mur- dered a White WOman-laken from the Sheriff and Burned on the Scene of His Crime Which Was Not Far From the Center of the City of Bartow.

the Center of the City of BartoW'
 Bartow. Fla. May 29.-Fred Rochelle,
 a negro thirty-five years of age who at
 noon yesterday assaulted and then
 murdered Mrs Rena Taggart, we'll
 known and respectable white woman of
 this city, was burned at the stake here
 early this evening in the presence of a
 throng of people. The burning was
 on the scene of the2 negro's crime,
 within 100 yards of the principal thor
 oughgare of this city.
 The assault and murder was one ot
 the most bold and cold blooded crimes
 ever committed in Florida, At 10
 o'clock yesterday morning Mrs. Tag
 gart went fishing alone in small row
 boat. A few minutes before noon, de-
 siring to return home, she rowed her boat to the bridge, in full sight of the public thoroughfare and made it fast. Leaving the boat she had proceeded only few steps in the swamp toward the prairie when she was approached by
 Rochelle, who had been hiding in the swamp He seized her but she broke loose and screaming ran into the prai- rie, where he overlook her.
 After the assault 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 a negro who had been fishing on the bridge and who was thoroughly 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 car ried it back to the swamp. threw it down and escaped into the interior of the swamp
 In few minutes the crime had been reported and in less than an hour practically the entire city was in arms and well armed posse was moving in every direction in search of the crim- inal Bloodhounds were secured and all night fruitless search was continued. This morning no trace of the negro had been secured and the people were be- coming more determined to apprehend him as the chances for his final escape seemed to grow. About noon a courier arrived announcing that the negro had 1 been captured by two other negroes three miles south of the city. Posses were immediately on the trail, but the captors evaded detection and succeeded in getting their prisoner into the city. where they turned him over to the sheriff of Polk county. In less than ten minutes after the transfer had been made the streets were crowded, and the crowd augmented as it marched, moved on the jail.
 Tn spite of the sheriff and strong guard of extra deputies, the mob se- cured the prisoner and took up the | march. Rochelle was half dragged, half carried to the bridge. Scream after scream broke from the wretch's quiver- ing lips, followed by groans and pray CTS for mercy. At the bridge the mob | turned toward the scene of the negro's | crime By common consent burning | was to be the penalty. There were no ropes, no plans for any other death.
 A barrel was placed by the stake, on the very spot where Mrs Taggart was assaulted and murdered. On this the negro was placed and chained to the stake. Rochelle pleaded for mercy, but from the great crowd silence was the only response. There were no jeers, no cursing, no disorder. Before the chains around his body had been made fast, cans of kerosene oil from many sources were passed to the front One of the leaders slowly but deliberately poured the oil over the prisoner until clothes and barrel were well saturated. Then the match was applied.
 The blaze quickly leaped skyward. The burning body coud be seen only as dark object in the circle of roar Ing flame. Then the fire slackened and the writhing body came back in full view but already the groans had ceased and the only evidence of life seen was In the contortions of the muscles of the limbs.
 In half hour from the minute of the implication of the match only the ,harred bones were left as reminder ,f the negro's crime and his fate. The crowd dispersed and at S:30 tonight