Richmond planet., 1901-06-08

white Nornen Attacked and Murder
ed at Barlow by Fred Roehene-He
Evsded Posse and Bloodhounds, but
was Caught By Men of His own Race
And Turned Over to sheriff-Crowd
Quickly Gathered and Lynched the
Prisoner st the Scene of His Crime.
BiRrow, Fla, May 2eth,- + ced Ro-
chelle, eolored, thirty-five years OF age,
who st noon yesterday assault sd and
murdered Mrs. Rens Taggsrt, q we'll
known and respectable white woman of
this city was burned at che stake here
this evening 10 the presence Of q
throng OF people. The burning was on
the scene OF the .colored msn'a crime,
within one hundred yards Of the prin-
cir az thoroughfsre.
The mans crime was one OF the bold
est ever committed In Florids. At 10
O'Clock yesterday IN orning Mrs. Tag
gart went fishing alone in Q small row.
boat that she kept st the city bridge
over .Piaeo Greek. 4 few minutes be
fore noon Mrs. Tsggsrt. desiring 60 re-
turn homo, rowed her boat 70 the
bridge and made it fasf. A colored
man was fishing from the bridge at the
time. Mrs. Taggart started home, and
the open Ts irie and thence TO the street
when che was approached by Rochelle,
who had been hiding in the swemp.
he seizsd her and she broke loose
and, screaming, ran from the swamp
into the prairie ,swhere he overlook her
and oyerpo wered her. After the a.
sault he cut her throat, causing instant
death
tFLIaHT AND PUKsuIr.
Rochelle walked up to the colored
man who had been fishing on the
bridge and who WAS thoroughly fright
ened, and asked him what re should do
with the body. He Was told to leave il
where il was, bat, unheedful OF this re.
guess, he carried it back to the swamp.
threw it down, and fed.
10 few minutes the crime had been
reported. and in less than an hour prae
tioallY the entire city was in arms and
3 well. armed posse was moving Ia
every direction In search OF the crimi-
nal. Bloodhounds were secured and
all night the search was continued.
This morning no trace OF the man
had been secured, and the people were
becoming mora desperate in their de-
termination to spprehend him, as the
chances for his final escape seemed to
grow, About noen q courier arrived
announcing that the man had been can
tured by two other colored man three e
miles south of the city. Posses were
Immediately on the trail, bat the can
tors evaded detectionend succeeded In
getting their prisoner quickly into the
city and In turning him over to the
sheriff OF Polk county. Ten minutes
after the transfer had been made the
streets became congested with people.
and the crowd augmented as it moved
on the jail.
In spite of the sheriff and q strong
guard OF extra deputies, who made
every effort to protect him from mob
violence. The crowd secured the pris.
oner aud took up the march to the
scene OF the crime. he was half-drag-
ged, halfoearriet to the bridge, enysl.
oped by great throng of people of all
ages, who were reaolute and detarmin-
ed, but quiet and orderly. By com-
mon consent burning was TO be the
penalty,
THE ToRcK APPLIED.
The stake was the only suggestion az
to the proper expiation OF the crime.
and without organized effort, and yet
with apparently unanimous undar-
standing, barrel was in readiness.
and was placed by tho stake on the
very spot where Mrs. Taggsrt was muir
dered.
On this the colored msa was placed
and chained to the stake. Louder and
more desperate grew his pleadings for
mercy, but in the crowd around hin. si-
leDce WAS the only response. There
were no jeers, no swearing, no disor.
der.
Bsfore the chains around his BODY
had been made fast. cans OF Kerosene
oil from many sources were passed TO
the center, and one of the leaders stem
ped to the body and slowly, but delhi
erately, poured il upon him and his
clothes until the clothes and har-aI
were we'll saturated.
1t was near o'clock. The crowd
was growing. Business in the city had
practically been suspended and ali
eyes were turned toward the seems.
In an instant she match was applied.
As II By explosion the blaze Quickly
leapsd skyward The burning body
could be seen only Is . dark object in
Q circle OF rearing fame. Then the
tire lessened in volume and the writh-
ing body came back in full view. hut
the groans had ceased and the onlv av.
idence OF life was in the contorsions of
She muscles Of the limbs, For fifteen
minutes Daore the body burned and in
. halt hour from the time Of the appli-
cation OF the match only she charrad
bones were left - o reminder Of thu
mans crims an1 fate.
The crowd dispersed as orderly An "A
had gathesed, and st 8 80 to-niEhs the
eftv In nutak -"