Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-08-09
NEGRO RAPIST MEETS
MOST HORRIBLE FATE
John Pennington Burned at
Stake In Alabama.
He CONFESSED HIS GUILT
Assaulted Mrs. j. c. Davis Near En-
terprise, Was Pursued by Mob, and
Being Captured and Fully Identified,
Was Speedily Put to Death.

Was Speedily Put to Death.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Aug. &. - With
agonizing screams and his eyes bulging
from his head, John Wesley Penning.
ton, negro, was burned at the stake
near Enterprise, Ala, before a crowd of
500 enraged and determined citizens of
Coffee county yesterday morning. The
assemblage was composed of both whites
and blacks and though the suffering
wretch pleaded for mercy and frantic
ally endeavored to break the chains that
tightly bound him, not trace of sym
pathy was shown on the hardened faces
that peered at him through the flames.
Pennington had committed brutal as
sault upon Mrs. J. Q. Davis, the wife of
one of the most prominent farmers of
Coffee county, and confessed his guilt.
The crime was committed the evening
before while Mrs. Davis was gathering
vegetables in her garden. Pennington
slipped up behind Mrs. Davis, choked
the fearstrlcken woman into insensibili-
ty. accomplished his intention and fed
through the woods near by. AS soon as
she regained her senses Mrs. Davis
crawled to the house and told her hus-
band what had happened.
Chased by Bloodhounds.
A large posse was quickly organized,
and, with bloodhounds, they chased the
negro until early in the morning, when
he was captured in swamp. Penning.
ton was bound hand and foot and taken
back to the Davis home for Identified.
tion.
Word of the assault on Mrs Davis
had been sent by runners for miles
around Enterprise and every farmer in
the neigh borhood had left his plow to
join in the search. Some of them were
too late to join the pursuing party and
went to the Davis home and awaited
their return.
When taken before her Mrs Davis
Immediately recognized Pennington and
the negro broke down and wept. He
admitted having committed the assault
and pleaded for mercy, but with cries of
terror the trembling man was dragged
from the house and into the woods,
where the crowd had gathered.
Evidently expecting the confession
several of the citizens had already driven
a stake in the ground and as the men
approached with Pennington both whites
and blacks were piling brushwood
around the iron pipe. The negro saw
his doom, and with an awful scream of
terror fell to the ground in faint.
He was quickly revived and dragged
to the stake, while the crowd stood si-
lently 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.
Rapist's Awful Fate.
A match was applied to the pile and,
with oil to feed upon, the tiny fame
soon burst into a roaring fire. The ter
riied negro again pleaded for mercy in
the most agonizing tones and prayed
God that those around him might per.
ish. He then called upon the Maker for
forgiveness and as the flames leaped up
and enclrcled his neck an unearthly
shrek was heard and the man s eyes al.
most bulged out of the sockets. By this
time the fire had gained such headway
that nothing could be seen except a
wriggling motion in the center of the
circle of fire.
A deathly silence envelOped the awful
sight and in few minutes the flames
had sufficiently subsidized to see that
PenningTon's head had fallen forward
and hung limp over the iron chain.
The body was quickly consumed and all
of Pennington that remained was a pile
of ashes. The crowd then quietly dis.
persed.
Lightning K1IIs Three.
COLUMBIA, S. G., Aug. S.-Under a
cedar tree, miles from Columbia, FIVE
negroes sought shelter from thunder
storm yesterday. They occupied the
time eating dinner A bolt of lightning
killed two men, q woman and two
mules. Ed Owens, one Of the men killed,
was manager of the farm, and a promi-