Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-08-28
SOAKED WITH OIL AND BURNED.
Negro Had Committed the Crime Which Usu.
ally Prompts Lynohing.

Winchester, Tenn, August 25.-Henry
Noles, the negro who oriminally assaulted
and shot to death Mrs. Charles Williams,
wife of prominent farmer near Win.
ohester,, Tenn, last Friday, was captured
near Cowan, Tenn. He was carried to
Winchester by his oaptors and placed in
the county jail.
Sheriff Stewart made haste to try to
barrioade the Jail and protect the pris-
oner. Soon an angry mob of several
hundred citizens gathered about the jail.
Assistant Attorney General Matt N.
Whitaker appeared at tho jail and made
a speech to the infuriated citizens. He
appealed to the citizens to assist him In
allaying excitement and upholding the
majesty of the law.
Ho promised to recOnvene the grand
jury tomorrow to promptly indiot the
negro and have 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. ]. Lynch,
Captain w. p. Tolley, jesse NJ. Littleton,
~FOster Ramsey and others.
No sooner had their appeals been made
than several hundred citizens from the
neighborhood whore tho orime was COM
mltted camo up and augmented the
crowd to thousands. They swept for
ward upon tho Jail, overpowering the
sheriff and his deputies, secured tho
prisoner and started for the scene of the
crime, IL miles distant, at 1915 q. m.
MOB WAS ORDERLY.
The mob was orderly, but grimly do.
termined. 1t seemed that the whole
population for miles around had turned
out to see the fate of tho wretch. A
Droceasion thraa ,o;loo ~, lonotJ, foIio,,oJ
the mob to the Williams homo. Arrived
at q point in sight of tho scene of the
crime the negro was placed upon stump
and given chance to mako u statement.
He mounted the stump stol;dly and
laughed as ho began his statement. He
said
"Tell all my sisters and brothers to
meet mo in glory. am going to make
me whore parting will be no moro"
He was then asked number of cues.
tions. Interrogated as to whether or not
any ono else was implicated in the crime,
Nolos stated omphatically thore was no
one implicated but himself.
why did you kill Mrs. Williams 9''
was asked.
II just done that because had nothing
else to do"
SATURATED WITH OIL.
He finished his statement at /, ,35 D, m,
lie was taken from tho stump, carried
to tree noar by, bound to it by chains
and his body saturated with oil.
at 1.40 p. m. a match was applied, and
instantly tho quivering body was en-
veloped in flames. Rails wore pitched
about the burning body and soon life
was extinct. The negro mado no outcry
at any timo, and diod as stolidly as
stoic. There were no dsorderly scenes
about tho burning body.
at least 5000 people witnessed tho
horrible fate of tho negro. Many re-
mained until nightfall, augmenting the
sumed. They then departed for their
homes quietly.
HISTORY OF NOLEs' CRIME.
Lying on the floor of the family room,
with her face splashed with blood,
Friday afternoon when he returned from
marketing his wheat in tho little town of
Maxwell.
A heavy bullet had crashed through
her head. Life was completely extinct,
and hor two baby children were crying
aloud their grief and fear at what had
transpired before tho arrival of the
father. The oldest boy, aged 5, told
what had occurred.
JOuHS HhoehoA hdu UCCu blOU buu
killed by Henry Nolcs, negro hand
upon Williams place, AS tho mortally
wounded woman sank to tho floor, Nolos
shot at tho boy, the bullet grazing tho
child's head.
The negro fled to tho woods. Will
liams's noighbors were stirred to tho
stage of oxacting reckless, mcrciless and
summary justice. On receipt of news of
the crimo Sheriff Stewart departed for
tho scone with bloodhounds. A posse
of determined citizens, we'll armed and
provided with rope, was also on Noles
trail.
1t is reported that tho motive was rob-
berry, and $50 was obtained by tho mur-
dcrcr. Mr.. Williams is we'll to do far
NOR, and ono of the most prominent resi-
dents of his section of Franklin county.
The dead woman was member of one
of tho oldest and most respected families
in the county. The two children alone
wore witnesses of tho horrible tragedy.