The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-02-27
NEGRO CREMATED
AT TERRE HAUTE
George Ward Shot a School
Teacher Because She
Called Him Niger
scripps-blcRae Press Assn.

scripps- -McRac Press Assn.
Terre Haute Ind. Feb 26.- George
Ward. the ncgro. who murdered Miss ida
Finkoistoin. the school teacher, hy
shooting her with shot gun and cutting
he throat yostcriay afternoon was
iynched today ln few hours after his
arrest an angry mob battered down tho
doors OF the jail draggcd the prisoner To-
the wabash bridge several squares away
and hanged him to the draw bridge
Not content with the hacging the crowd
cut the corpse down lay II on sand bar
under the bridge and cremated the re-
mains
Ward was arrested at I o'clock. and ar
Ter being fuly idcntihed by two citizens
made confession ins only excuse for
the murder was his allegation that Miss
FIngeistein ca5ied his dirty nigger
and slapped him 10 the face.
Sheriff Fasig communicated with Gov-
crnor Durham but the mob accomplished
its work before any effort was made TO
get the militia into action.
Being advised of the threatening situa-
tion the governor wired 60 Captain Thorn
as. OF Company "B" 20 place his COM
pany fully armed. in position 70 be IN
immediate readiness for duty ia response
te a call from the sheriff
Before the sheriff called on che militia
The prisoner was Ia the hands OF the mob
and was dead
At noon the crowd ont side the Ian,
numbered several hundred, broke down
the iron doors. but was driven back by
Jailer Lawrence ODonnen. who fired ov-
er the heads Of the mob. Deputy sher-
ins Cooper. Hefsick and Leforge were
struck by scattering shot and slightly
injured but nobody in the crowd was
hurt A detail OF police arrived at the
Jail and tried to dispersc the crowd but
with poor success The crowd keep eA
growing and the excitement increesed,
and at 1880 o'clock another crowd OF ir-
resistnbie numbers attacked the jail bait
tering down the outer doors securing
possession OF the keys and entering the
cell room. A piece Of railroad timber
twenty-five feet long and eight inches
thick was used as battering ram. The
door was opened by the crowd inside
and the others were admitted IN that
way
The cell was quickly opened and Ward
was dragged forth. He realized that no
mercy could be expected from the mob
and fought with the desperate ferocity
Of q beast Ia vain He was dragged out
10 the street atin fighting with an his
strength. but a blow from aheayy ham-
mcr felled him Go the gro,Hd.
A moose was adjusted to his neck,
and the mob started with its victim
toward the Wabash bridge. The fee
bile resistance made by the wretched
creature after that blow with the ham-
mer was soon quieted by the savage
blows Of the mob,
Face downward he was dragged
through the street to the bridge and
across the rough planking from the
driveway to the drawbrdge.
Many were OF the opinion that the
negro WAS dead before the scene OF
the hanging was reached. However
the rope was thrown over one OF the
upper leans and the body drawn up.
:. MD been swinging IN that position
bs short time when someone sug
4 . sted burning. Immediately a hre
wpa started on the banks Of the river
near the bridge Into the fire the
body. bearing no skins Of life. was
thrown and faggots were piled upon H.
The feet protruded from the fire on
one side. the head on the other
The fire had barely been started
when man arrived with can OF
turpentine. which was poured upon
flames. After that combustile oil
seemed 90 How spontaneously toward
the nre. ana the flames leaped high
while the body OF the wretohed muir
derer wns rapidly consumed
There was NO attempt 10 disguise on
the part Of any member OF the mob
Within ton minutes OF the time when
the mob reached the bridge with the
pictiui. the people began 70 asscUblo IN
ever increasing number when tho
body was taken down 10 be carried 20
the hre the east bank OF the river and
the bridge on the city side of the draw
We're crowded with thousands OF men.
women and children gazing at the aw-
ful spectacle.
The certainty that the wretch was
dead did not appease the anger OF the
mob. With grim determination they
fed the flames and watched the flesh
shrivel 70 einders and the bones crum-
BILE and burn
force aud fragments OF the wretched
murderer were now scattered broadcast,
one man, while the feet stil protruded
from the flames offered Si.00 for toe
cf the "niggers foot" a venturosome
youth. drawing a knife from his pocket
made dash FOR the prize. He quickly
amputated the toe, delivered the goods
and got tho money.
A. the bonea began 70 crumhle and fall