Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-13
BURNED At STAKE
ASSAULT AND MURDER FIEND
CONFESSED CRIME.
MOB OF FIVE THOUSAND MEN.
Troops Were rOdered Out But Too
Late to Save the Life of the
Frightened Wretch.

Sit. Louis. March ia special TO the
Post-Dispa. uir from Corsicana, Texas,
says:
John Henderson, the negro who out
ragged and murdered Mrs. Younger sew
eral days, ago, after making complete
confe ssion, was burned at the stake tti;
afternoon by a mob in the presence of
mCre than 5000 persons.
Henderson had been taken to Hills
boro in fear Of the mob that ga.he red
in this city soon after his arrest.
Last night the officers i'm charge of
the negro started to take him to Fort
Worth for safety. When the train
reached Itasca THE officers were over
powered and the negro taken from them
by citizens of the county who had gone
there for that purpose.
Henderson was then brought here.
When confronted with proof of his
guiu he confessed the crime. Prepar:..
tiOns were at once made to put him To
death by fire. The town was filled with
people, most of them armed, and The
sheriff could do nothing against their
will, Seven carloads of people came
from Ennis, Texas.
Several citizens made strong appeals
to the multitude to let the law enter
yene. and assured those clamOring for
the negroes quick execution that he
would be punished. These appeals
awaited nothing.
AT 1O:45 a. m. an iron pole was erected
in the court house yard. in full view of
5000 people who had assembled there
abOuts.
A committee that had been appointed
to see THE accused secured the following
confess. on from Henderson, which Was
.a1 Inv Tn
Peace Roberts
IT. John Henderson, co.ored, % years
old, murdered an unknown white lady
three miles north of Corsicana, the jth
of March, 1901. There was no one pres
ent but myself, the woman and two little
children. / murdered her and left her
i'm the house Without any intention OF
robbing her. i don't know why dAd 1t.
JOHN j. HENDERSON,"
The first train this morning on the
Cotton Belt from Hillsboro was so
crowded that it could carry no more.
Runners were sent over the country an
nouncing the arrest of Henderson and
his arrival here and all the morning peo-
pie had been swarming into the city to
take part in or witness the execution OF
THE penalty to be inflicted on the negro,
After his confession it was decided to
burn him at the stake at O'Clock, put
news was received of rangers and troops
en- route from Dallas. due here at l,
O'Clock, and hurried preparations We're
made to anticipate interference. A rail-
road rail was driven into the ground IN
3 the corner of the court house lot ana
boxes and wood around it were satur-
ated with oil. The crowd had Increased
to about 1000 at II O'Clock. About forty
;,s1 "a
street to the court. In their midst was
the negro handcuffed. The men formed
a cir lie, holding onto chain which COM
pletely surrounded Henderson to prevent
an attempt of the outraged people to get
at him and tear him to pieces
They rushed to the pile of wood and
preperad for the fire. fastening the negro
to the iron rail with Wire and chains
Cams of oil We're dashed over his CLOTH
ing and dozens of ighted matches touch,
ed the inflammable material. At that
time the fire alarm bell was run and the
g. ores of the city, We're deserted and the
streets were full of men rushing to the
court house ground to witness the
burning
Just before thu pile was fired Conway
Younger. husband of the murdered wo-
man jumped at Henderson and slashed
him across the face with a knife. AS
the flames encircled the negro and ran
over his clothing the crowd yelled and
yelled and Younger again attempted to
cut the murderer. At no time during the
burning cid Henderson give any indica-
ton of pain or suffering. He roled his
ey-s 50 as to get a glimpse of the sea
Of angry faces which surrounded him
and his hands moved slightly. 1t was
about ten minutes before he was dead,
during which time the movements of hts
hands were becoming feeb,er. At no time
did he make an outcry other than once a
eroan. At II 80 Lee French, husband OF
the victim of the negro Anderson Norris
who beat her to death with a piece of
iron pipe last November and who was
taken from the Jail here last week by the
officers and carried to a place Of safety
climbed a tree and made an impassioned
sneeech to the crowd, asking them to
help him get the murderer and deal with
him as they had just deaf with Hender-