The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-27
BURNED AT THE STAKE
SEVERAL THOUSAND PENNIES
 sEEANs WERE PRESENT.
Before His Death Henry Noles Said He Killed Mrs. Williams Because He Had Nothing Else to Do.
 Story of the Crime.

Chattanooga. Tenn. Aug. 26.-A spc- l cial dispatch to The Times from Win chester published this morning, says; Henry Noles, the negro who crimi- nallv assaulted and shot to death Mrs' Charles Williams, wife of prominent farmer near Winchester. Tenn, last Friday, was captured early this morning at a water tank near Cowan. Tenn. and burned to death before crowd of several thousand persons.
 The negro was carried to Winchester by his captors and placed in the county jail. Sheriff Stewart made haste to try to barricade the jail and protect the prisoner. but soon an sngV moo oi several hundred citizens had gathered.
 Assistant Attorney General Matt N: Whitaker appeared at the jail ana made a speech to the infuriated citi- gems, appealing to them to assist him in allaying excitement and upholding the majesty of the law. He promised to reconvene the grand jury tomorrow to promptly indict the negro and nave him speedily tried at the present term of court, assuring the crowd that his conviction and legal execution was foregone conclusion. This appeal was supplemented by Judge J. J. Lyhch. Captain w. P. Foley, Jesse M. Little ton. Foster M. Ramsey and others. NO.
  than several hundred citizens from the neighborhood where the crime was committed came up and augmented the crowd to the thousands.
 They swept forward upon the jail, oyerpowered the Sheriff and his depu- toes. secured the prisoner and started for the scene of the crime, twelve miles distant. at 10:15 a. m.
 The mob was orderly but grimly de- termined. It seemed that the whole population for miles around had turned out. to see the fate of the wretch. A procession three miles in length fol- lowed the mob to the Williams home Arriving at a point in sight Of the crime the negro was placed upon a stump and siven a chance to make statement. He mounted the stump stol- idly and laughed as he began his state ment He said: Tell all my sisters and brothers to meet me in glory. am going to make that my home. Iel my mother to meet me where parung will be no more." Interrogated as to whether or not any one else was inn plicated in the crime Noles stated eni. phatically there wag no one implicated
 Why did you kill Mrs. williams?' was asked.
 ing else to do."
 He finished his statement at 1855 ?. m, He was taken from the stump, car ried to a tree nearby, bound to the tree by chains and his body saturated with oil
 At 1:40 D. m. a match was applied and instantly the quivering body was enveloped in flames. Rails were pitched about the burning body and soon life was extinct. The negro made no outcry at any time and died like stofc. There were mo disorderly scenes about the burning body. At least 5000 people witnessed the horrible fate of the negro. Many remained until nightfall. increasing the blaze until the body was entirely consumed.
 Lying on the floor of the family room, with her face splashed with clotted blood and the oaken blanks stained with the same drops, Charles Williams found his devoted young wife Friday afternoon when he returned from marketing his wheat in the little town of Maxwell. A heavy bullet had crushed through her head, life was completely extinct and her two babies were crying aloud from their grief and fear at what had transpired before the arrival of the father. The oldest boy, dSeQ Q, tOlu what Hdu OSSulic 1hC young mother had been shot and killed by Henry Noles, a negro hand upon Williams's place. AS the mortally wounded woman sank to the floor, Noles shot at the boy, the bullet graz ing the child's head. The negro fled to the woods. Williamss neighbors were stirred to the stage of exacting reckless, merciless and summary justice. On receipt of news of the crime. Sheriff Stewart departed for the scene with bloodhounds. A posse of de- termined citizens well armed and pro- vided with a rope was also on Noles's trail.
 It Is reported that the motive was robbery. and $20 was obtained by the murderer. MT. Williams Is a farmer, well to do, and one of the most promi- nent residents of his section of Frank lin County. The dead woman was a member of one of the oldest and most respected families in the county. The two children alone were witnesses of the horrible tragedy.
 MONTHOMERY TuEATRE