Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-27
GEORGE WARD TAKEN FROM JAIL
AND L1NCHED By A MOB AT
TERRE HAUTE.
HANGED FROM DRAWBRIDGE.
THE DEAD BODY CREMATED
HORRIBLE SCENES WHEN RELIC
HUNTERS BOUGHT BITS OK
THE BURNING BODY.

Metea out to-day 10 George Ward, the
negro who murdered Miss Ida Ffnkel-
stein. the school teacher, by shooting
her with a shot gun and cutting her
throat. yesterday afternoon.
A few hours after his arrest an angry
mob battered down the doors of the
jail, dragged the prisoner to, the
Wabash bridge. several squares away
and hanged him to the bridge draw.
Not content with the hanging. the
crowd cut the corpse down, and lay
ing it on a sand bar under the bridge.
kindled a fire and cremated the re-
mains. It was the first lynching that
ever occurred in Terre Haute and the
day abounded in exciting incidents.
Ward was arrested at 10 o'clock AT
the car works. where he was employed
as a laborer and after being fully
identified by two citizens, made a con-
fession. His only excuse for the muir
der was hat Miss Finkelsteln called
him a dirty niger" and slapped him
in the face.
Sheriff Fasig communicated with Gov
ernor Durbip, but the mob accom-
plished its work before the militia
could be ordered out.
Being advised of the threatening sit
%uation. the Governor wired Captain
Thomas, Of Company b. to place his
company fully armed in the position
to be Immediately ready for duty in
response to a call from the sheriff.
Before the sheriff could
Cell on the Militia
the prisoner was in h hands OF tho
mob and was dead even before being
taken to the place arranged for hang
ing.
At zoe the crowd outside the 1ail,
numbering several hundred, including
men, women and boys, battered down
the iron doors, but were driven back
by Jailer Lawrence oDonnell, who
fired over the heads OF the mob.
Deputy Sherifs Cooper, Hissick and
LeF'orge were struck by scattering
shot and slightly injured, but no.
body in the crowd was hurt. A de-
tail of police arrived at the jail and
tried to dispense the crowd, but with
poor success.
The crowd kept on growing and the
excitement increased and at l2:35 an
other crowd OF Irresistible numbcrs
attacked the jail, battering down the
outer doors, securing possession OF tho
keys and entering the cell room.
A piece OF railroad timber twenty
five feet long and eight inches thick.
was used as a battering ram. The side
door was opened by the crowd inside
and the others were admitted in THAI
way. The cell was quickly opened and
Ward was dragged forth. He realized
that no mercy could be expected from
the mob and he fought with the des.
perate f~erocity of a beast at bay. lie
was dragged out to the street. still,
fighting with all his strength. but a
blow from a heavy hammer felled him
to the ground.
A moose was quickly adjusted 20 his
neck and the mob started with It's vic
tim
Toward the wabash Bridge.
Tire feeble resistance made By the
wretched creature after the blow With
the hammer was soon quieted by tho
savage blows Of the mob. Face down
ward. he was dragged through the
street to the bridge and across the
rough planking OF the driveway to the
~drawbridge.
Many are OF the opinion that the
fellow was dead before the scene OF the
hanging was reached. However. the
rope was thrown over one end OF the
upper beams and the body drawn up
It had been swinging in that position
but a short time when some one sug-
gested burning at the stake as tins
nearest approach to a proper e~xpiation
Of the awful crime.
The suggestion was adopted unani-
mously and a fire was quickly kindlcd
on the bank OF the river Just south OF
the west end OF the bridge. Into the
fire the body, bearing 10 sign or life.
was thrown and faggots we're piled
upon II. The stake was omitted. The
body was in a horizontal position. the
feet p%rotruding at one end, the head at
the other.
The fire had barely been started
when a man arrived with a can OF
~turpentine. which was fed to the eager
flames. After that ~combugtIble oils
seemed to flow spontaneously toward
the fire and the flames leaped high
while the body Of the negro vas rap
idly consumed.
There Was No Attempt nj Disguise
on the part Of any member Of the mob.
Continued ON Third Pass-