Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-17

nave tOld you l am innocent. l
can't tell you any more. didn't do
it,"
Take him where he committed the
murder" suggested one.
The suggestion met with instant ap-
proval, and the crowd pushed on for
Fourth street.
At a quarter past five Alexander
was brought to the scene of the MUIR
der of Pearl Forbes, at the corner of
Lawrence avenue and Spruce street.
The exact spot where the crime was
committed was located by the leaders,
and there a semi-circle was formed.
Alexander asked for an opportunity to
speak again. When this was granted
the negro said:
You are going to kill me, whatever
say, but you men are wrong. 1 want
to tell you right now, you have got the
wrong man. did not do that Some
day you men will run up against the
man who did. I know it amt any
use to say SO, for you're going to kill
me, but 1 didn't do it."
Bound to the Stake.
The negro was quickly driven down
the embankment to a pile of wood,
with his hands still shackled, and
there bound to the stake.
The spot chosen for the stake was
the exact one on which Pearl Forbes
body was found November Z. A rail
from nearby railroad was set up
right in the mud and made fast by
cross irons. To this the negro was
chained in standing position. The
chains. of iron We're wrapped about
him and then coal oil was poured over
him. Before the match was applied,
John Forbes, the father of the muir
dered girl, stepped up to Alexander,
and said:
Are you guilty of numbering my
daughter?"
81 don't know what you have me
here for" said the doomed man.
Forbes replied: For killing my girl
on this very spot"
/, Mr.. Forbes, if that's your name,
you have the wrong man"
The coal oil was then applied a sec
ond time. While this was being done,
Alexander called to his friends in the
crowd and told them goodbye.
Father Applies Match.
Alexander did not seem to realize
he was to be burned at the stake, and
talked nationally until John Forbes,
the father Of the murdered girl ap-
Piled the match. Again Alexander
was asked to make confession, but
he replied he had nothing to say.
AS the flames leaped about him, AL
exander clasped his hands together
and began to swing to and fro, while
the crowd yelled. In less than five
minutes he was hanging limp and life.
less by the chains that bound him.
AS soon as the crowd saw that life
was extinct, it began to slowly dis
perse. There were hundreds, howev-
er, who stayed to the last Men kept
piling on wood all the time until Z
O'Clock when the flames were allowed
to die down
From to s o'clock there was a con-
tinuous stream of persons going to the
scene. These had been unable to get
away from work in the afternoon. but
were determined not to miss seeing
the awful spectacle.
| When the fire had died down suf1i.
GENTLY to allow the crowd to approach
what remained Of Alexander, there
was scramble to obtain relics. Bits
of charred flesh pieces of chain, scraps
of wood and everything that could
possibly serve as souvenir was seized
on with morbid eagerness.
Alexander's Crime.
+ Alexander vas arrested for attempt.
ing to assault Eva Roth Saturday
night last He was charged with the
assault and murder, on November 6. OF
Pearl Forbes. Alexander followed
Miss Roth several blocks and when
near her home seized her around the
throat and bore her to the ground. In
falling his fingers slipped from her
throat long enough to enable her to
cry for help and the negro fed Alex.
ander was soon captured and taken to
the police station, and thence to the
state prison at Lansing.
Sunday at a secret meeting attend
ed by people of all classes, vigilance
committee was formed with ayowed
purpose of lynching Alexander when
he should be brought back to Leaven
worth for trial, and rid the city OF
dozens of suspicious characters that
had overrun it during the past few
weeks
Monday morning the mob began to
gather about the penitentiary door.
To prevent the prisoner being spirited
away, guards were placed at the differ
ent entrances. Many remained about
the prison walls allnight,and yesterday
their numbers were swelled with each
hour. Later, when it became known
that Sheriff Everhardy, of Leaven
worth, would come for the prisoner
the mob increased in size rapidly, an6
became so formidable that Governor
Stanley, in response to a telegram
from Warden Tomlinson, ordered two
companies of militia to be in readiness
to start at moments notice.
The governor seemed anxious te
preserve the name of Kansas from
any mob disgrace. It was understood
that he instructed Warder
Tomlinson to refuse to deliy
er Alexander to the sheriff unless they
afford him proper protection. Before