The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-08
Left Senseless, She Reviyes. Crawls
to Her Home and Tells Her
Piteous Story.
FER ASSAILANT QUICKLY CAPTURED
he is Identified by His Victim, Dragged to the
Stake, the BrushWood Fired. He Dies
Rendng The Air With Screams
Enr Mercy
For Mercy.
(By the Associated Press.l

birmingham, Ala, August with
asonlzing screams and his eyes bulging
from his head, John Wesley Pennington.
a negro, was burned at the stake near
Enterprise, Ala, this morning before q
crowd of five hundred enraged citizens of
Coffee county. The assemblage was COM
posed OF both whites and blacks and al
though the negro pleaded for mercy and
frantically endeayored to break the chains
that tightly bound him, not a trace Of
sympathy was shown on the hardened
faces that peered at him through the
Hdmes. Pennington had committed an as
sault upon Mrs. ]. G.. Davis. the wife of
a prominent farmer, of Coffee county. and
had confessed his guilt.
The crime was committed yesterday af-
ternoon while Mrs. Davis was gathering
vegetables in her garden. AS soon as she
reSained her senses Mrs. Davis crawled
to the house anC tcld her husband what
had happened. A large posse was Quickly
organized and with bloodhounds thew
chased the negro until early morning
when he was captured in a swamp. Pen
nlngton was bound hand and foot and
taken back to the Davis home for identi-
fication. Word of the assault had been
Sent by runners for miles around Enter
prise, and every farmer in the neighbor-
hoCd left his plow to join in the search.
Some of them were too late to ioin the
pursuing party and went to the Davis
home to await their return. There is
not telegraph office in Coffee county. but
the message travelled rapidly and when
the posse arrived this morning with Pen
nlngton there were at least five hundred
persons gathered near the Davis resi-
dence. A great shout went up when the
prisoner was seen by the crowd but at
signal the men withdrew to the woods
and quietly awaited the result of the
meeting between Pennington and Mrs.
Davis.
Mrs. Davis Immediately recognized him
and the negro broke down and wept. He
admitted having committed the assault
and pleaded for mercy. While CRYING
aloud in terror the trembling man was
dragged from the house and into the
woods where the crowd had gathered
Evidently expecting the confession sew
eral of the citizens had driven a stake in
the ground and as the men approached
with Pennington both white and blacks
were piling brushwood around the iron
pipe. The negro saw his doom and with
scream of terror fell to the ground in
faint. He was quickly revived and
dragged to the stake while the crowd
stood silently by. The frightened man
was limp and had to be held up while
the chains were fastened around his neck
and body.
When all was ready the cry was given
and the crowd stood back A match was
applied to the pile, and with oil to feed
upon, the tiny fame soon burst into
roaring fire. The terrified negro again
pleaded for mercy in agonizing tones and
prayed 10 God that those around him
might perish. He then called upon his
Maker for forgiveness.
A deathIy silence enveloped the awful
scene and in few minutes the flames
had done their work.