The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-08-29
VICTIM OF THE STAKE
Negro Who Brutally Murdered
Mrs. Williams Cremated.
CONFESSED TO HEINOUS CRIME
Culbfit Saturated With OIL and Match
Quickly AppIIed-Six Thou
sand People Witnessed
the Awful Sight.

Sdno FcOPie "itHeSSSO
the Awful Sight.
A special to The Chattanooga Times
from Winchester, Tenn, says Henry
Noles, the negro who criminally as
saulted and shot to death Mrs. Charles
Williams, wife OF prominent farmer
near Winchester, Tenn, last Friday.
was captured early Sunday morning at
Water Tank. near Codan. Tenn. He
was carried to Winchester by his
captors and placed in the county Jail.
Sheriff Stewart made haste to try 10
barricade the jail and protect the pris-
oner. Soon an angry mob of several
hundred citizens gathered about the
Jail. Assistant Attorney General Matt
N. Whitaker appeared and made a
speech to the infuriated citizens. He
appealed to the citizens to assist him
In allaying excitement and upholding
the majesty of the law.
He promised to reconvene the grand
Jury Monday to promptly indict the
negro and have him speedily tried at
the present term of court, assuring the
crowd that his conviction and legal
execution was q foregone conclusion.
This appeal was supplemented by
Judge ]. J. Lynch, Captain w. P. Tol.
ley, Jesse M. Littleton. Foster Ram
sey and others.
No sooner had their appeals been
made than several hundred citizens
from the neighborhood where the
crime was committed came up and
augmented the crowd to thousands.
They swept forward upon the Jail,
overpowering the sheriff and his dep
uties. secured the prisoner and start
ed fo1 the scene Of the crime, twelve
miles distant, at 1918 a. m.
It seemed that the whole popula.
ton for miles around had turned out
to see the fate of the wretch. A pro-
cession three miles tn length followed
the mob to the Williams home. Ar
rived at q poiut in sight of the scene
of the crime the negro was placed
upon q stump and given chance to
make q statement.
He mounted the stump stolidly and
laughed as he began his statement
He said:
"Tell all my sisters and brothers to
meet me in glory. I am going to make
that my home. Tell my mother to
meet me where parting will be no
more"
He was then asked a number OF
questions. Interrogated as to whether
or not anyone else was implicated In
the crime, Noles stated emphatically
there was no one implicated but him.
sell.
"Why did you kill Mrs. Williams?'
was asked.
'I just done that because had
nothing else to do"
Saturated With OIL.
He finished his statement at 1:35 p.
m. He was taken from the stump.
carried to tree near by, bound to 1t
by chains and his body saturated with
oil.
At 1:4O D. m. a match was applied,
and instantly the Quiyering body was
enveloped in flames. Rails were pitch.
ed about the burning body and soon
life was extinct. The negro made no
outcry at any time. and died stoically.
At least 5000 people witnessed the
horrible fate of the negro. Many re-
mained until nightfall, augmenting the
blaze until the body was entirely con.
sumed. They then departed for their
homes quietly.
T. History Of Mobiles Crime.
Lying on the floor Of the family
room, with her face splashed with
blood, Charles Williams found his
young wife Friday afternoon when he
returned from marketing his wheat In
the little town Of Maxwell.
A heavy bullet had crashed through
her head. Life was completely ex-
tinct, and her two baby children were
crying aloud their grief and fear al
what had transpired before the ar
rival Of the father. The oldest boy,
aged 3, told what had occurred.
The young mother had been shot
and killed by Henry Noles, negro
hand upon Williams place. AS the
mortally wounded woman sank to the
floor, Noles shot at the boy, the bullet
grazing the child's head.
It is reported that the motive was
robbery, and $40 was obtained by the
murderer.