Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-26

Henry Noles, a negro, was to-day burn
ed by a mob of citizens for criminally
assaulting and shooting to death Mrs.
Charles Williams, wife of a prominent
farmer near Winchester, Tenn. last
Friday. Admitting hts crime and ask
ing his friends to meet him in glory.
he met his fate without a groan.
lie was captured early this morning
AZ water tank near Covan, Tenn, and
was taken to Winchester by his captors
and placed in the county jail. Sheriff
Stewart made haste to barricade the
jail and protect the prisoner. Soon an
angry mob of several hundred men
gathered but Assistant Attorney Cen
eral Whitaker appeared and made
assist him in allaying excitement and
upholding the majesty of the law. He
promised to reconvene the grand fury
tomorrow TO indict the negro promptly
and have him speedily tried at the pres
ent term of court, assuring the crowd
that his conviction and legal execution
were foregone conclusion. This ap-
peal was supplemented by Judge j. j.
Lynch. Captain w. W. To1ley and 9TH
ers. No sooner had their appeals been
made than several hundred citizens
from the neighborhood where the
crime was 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 at 1915
a m. for the scene Of the crime. twelve
miles distant.
The mob was determined and 1t seem
ed that almost the entire population for
miles around had turned out to see the
fate of the wretch. The procession fol-
lowed the mob to the Williams home.
Arriving at a point In sight of the
scene of the crime, the negro was plac-
ed on a stump and given chance to
make a statement.
He mouted the stump stolidly and
laughed as he began his statement. He
said:
Tell all my sisters and brothers TO
meet me in Glory. am going 10 make
that my home. Tell my mother to
meet me where parting will be no
more"
He was then asked as to whether any
one else was implicated In the crime.
Noles stated emphatically that there
was no one implicated but himself.
why did you kill Mrs. Williams?"
was asked.
81 Just done that because had moth
ing else to do"
He was taken from the stump. bound
to a tree by chains and his body satur-
ated with oil.
At 1:40 p. m. a match was applied ami
instantly the quivering body was en-
veloped 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 six thousand people wit
messed the horrible fate of the negro.
Many remained until nightfall, aug
menting the blaze until the body was
entirely consumed. Then they depart
ed for their homes quietly.
Lying on the floor of the family room,
her face splashed with clotted blood,
Charles Williams found his young wife
Friday afternoon. when he returned to
his home. A bullet had gone through
her head, life was extinct, and her two
baby children were crying in grief and
fear. The Oldest boy, aged five, told
what had occurred. The young mother
had been shot and killed by Henry
Noles, a negro hand upon the Williams
Mace. As the MORALLY wounded Wo-
man sank to the floor, Noles shot at
the boy, the bullet grazing the childs
head. Then he fed to the woods. VIII
liamss neighbors were stirred to the
mitch of exacting merciless and sym
mary Justice. Heating Of the crime,
Sheriff Stewart departed for the scene
with bloodhounds. A posse OF deter
mined citizens, well armed and pro-
vided with a rope, was also on Noles's
trail.
1t is reported that the motive was
robbery and 500 was obtained by the
murderer. Mr.. Williams is farmer,
well to do, and one of the most promd-
nent residents of his section OF Frank
lin county. The dead CONAN was a
member of one of the most respected
fap-Iies in the coun.y. The two chill
dren. the older Just five years OF age
were the only witnesses of the tragedy
NEW YORK. August 25.-The chill
dren of Vice President Roosevelt are
now at the Roosevelt Hospital. The
Vice President spent a part OF thafiay