Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-01-16
VICTIM OF MOB FURY.
A Negro Burned to Death at
Leavenworth, Kansas.
REPEATEDLY CLAIMED INNOCENCE.
He Vas Identified by u Girl az Having
Committed an Assault Upon Her--Aiso
Suspected of she Murder of Ansth.r
Girl.


Alexander. the negro who on Satur.
day evening attempted TO assault
Miss Eva Roth aud who was sup
posed to have assaulted and killed
Pearl Forbes ia this city, in Noyem-
Der last, WAS taken from the jail
by Il mob aud burned at the stake
where Pearl Forbes body was found,
about half Ii dozen blocks from tie
center Of tile city. Probably 5000
people witnessed the Iynching.
Tile negro bad bees transferred
from bis cell ut the state penitentiary
and placed i'll jail A crowd followed
from the penitentiary to tile jail aud
the negro was gotten into the Jail by
rnse
The negro was dragged across Third
street and up hill to the court house
yard. Later he was backed up against
a tree IN tue yard and a chain was
hunted for, but none could be found.
He several times was given chance
to confess, but denied his guilt. One
big fellow struck the negro In the
forehead three times with his fists.
AT a suggestion he was pushed on
towards Fourth street and then
placed in wagon and taken to
the corner of Lawrence avenue and
Spruce street, the scene of the MUIR
der of Pearl Forbes, followed by the
crowd
Long before the wagon containing
the doomed man arrived at the place
crowd had gathered.
The first thing done was to plant
a railroad iron upright in the mud
This was made fast to cross irons
firmly bound to the upright iron with
wire. Around the improvised stake
wood and boards We're piled.
A howl went up, which was quickly
hushed as the prisoner raised his
shackled hands and began to speak
Twice he started, but the crowd
drowned his trembling voice.
You are going to kill me, what
ever | say" he said. but you men
are wrong. | want to tell you right
now. you've got the wrong man. |
did not do that. and some day you
men here will run up against the man
who did. | know 1t amt any use TO
say SO, for you're going TO kill me,
but | didn't do It,
The men standing behind AleXan-
der then showed him from the wagon
and the roar from the crowd drown
quickly driven down the embankment
to the pile of wood, with his hands
still shackled He was chained in a
standing position to the upright rail
road iron. Chains and irons were
wrapped about him and with his
hands still shackled he was made
fast TO the post. Coal oil was then
poured over him.
Before the match was applied John
Forbes, father of the murdered girl,
stepped up to Alexander and said:
Are you guilty of numbering my
daughter?"
Il don't know what you have me
here for" said Alexander
Forbes replied:
For killing my girl on this very
spot
MIR. Forbes, if that's your name
you have the wrong man." said the
negro
Burn him; burn him. cried the
crowd
Gentlemen. you've got lots of
time" said Alexander. "You are
burning an innocent man. You took
advantage of me. You gave me no
show. Can ! see my mother?'
A man in the crowd called for the
mother, but she was not in the
crowd
Alexander then said:
"Will you let me shake hands with
all my friends?"
You have no friends in this crowd
you damned beast" said one of the
men in charge of the negro. IF
you have anything to say, say it in
a hurry
Another man then stepped up and
said to Alexander:
make your peace with your God
niger. for YOU will surely die"
Coal oil was then applied for the
second time, and while it was being
| done. Alexander called to acquaint-
ances in the crowd, and said goodby
to them. He did not seem to realize
that he was to be burned Mt the
stake, and talked nationally until
| John Forbes, the father of the muir
| dered girl, lighted the match Again
| Alexander was asked TO make con-
| fession but he replied that he had
nothing to say.
As the flames leaped about him Al
exander turned a CHASTITY hue, and,
clasping his hands together. began to
sway to and fro, while the crowd
yelled
| In about five minutes the negro was
hanging limp and lifeless by the
chains that bound him. As soon as
the crowd saw that life was extinct
| it began to slowly disperse. Hun
dreds, however, staid to the last
Men kept piling on wood for some
| time until finally the flames were al
| lowed to die down. For some time
there was continuous stream OF
people going to the scene of the burn.
| ing.
When the fire had died down suf-
| ficiently to allow the crowd to APP
| proaeh the remains of Alexander
! there was a wild scramble to obtain
relics. Bits of charred flesh, pieces
| of chain, scraps of wood-everythin
that could possibly serve as a
souvenir was seized on with morbid
eagerness.
| After Alexanders arrest he was
| taken before Miss Roth. who identi-
| fed him. Since then mob has sur
| rounded tho napftaptiofv Iov ooJ