The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-26
Negro Dies stolidIy After Making n
Brief Statement Concerning His
Crime and Its Cause.
EFFORTS TO PREVENT LYNcHING
FERyENT BUT USELESS APPEALS on
BEHALF OF THE LAW.
Sheriff and His Deputies Overpowered
nv the Mob-DetaiIs Of the Execu-
ton as Carried Out.


CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Aug. "a spe-
ciai to the Times from Winchester, Ienn.'
says:
Henry Noles. the negro, VINO criihihdns
assaulted and shot to death Mrs Charles
Williams. wife of prominent farmer near
Winchester. Tenn. last Friday was cap
tured early this morning at a water tank
near Cowan. Tenn. He was taken 10 VIM
chester by his captors and placed in the
comfy iaiI. Sheriff Stewart made haste to
try 10 barricade the jail and protect the
prisoner. Soon an angry mob of several
hundred men gathered, but Assistant
States Attorney Matt y. Whitaker ap-
peared and made a speech TO the crowd
He appealed to them to assist him in allay-
ing excitement and upholding the majesty
of the law He promised TO reconvene the
grand Jury tomorrow to promptly indict
the negro and have him speedily tried at
the present term of court, assuring the
crowd that his conviction and legal execu-
tion was a foregone conclusion. This ap-
peal was supplemented by Judge j. j.
Lynch, Capt w. +. Tolley, Jesse Nj. Little
ton Foster Ramsey 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, over
powered the sheriff and his deputies. took
the prisoner and started for the scene of
the crime, twelve miles distant. at 10:15
"a
'sThe mob was orderly. but determined.
II seemed that the whole population for
miles around had turned out to see the
fate of the negro. A procession three miles
in length followed the mob to the Williams
home Arriving at a point in sight of the
scene of the crime the negro was placed on
a stump and given a chance to make
statement
"He mounted the stump stolidly and
laughed as he began his statement. He
said: Tell all my sisters and brothers to
meet me i'm glory. l am going to make
that my home. Tell my mother to meet
me where parting will be no more
..He was then asked as to whether any
one else was implicated in the crime.
Noles stated emphatically there was no
one implicated but himself.
why did you kill Mrs. Williams? was
asked.
81 Just done that because had nothing
else to do
He finished his statement at las p. m.
He was taken from the stump. carried to
tree near by. bound to the tree by chains
and his body saturated with oil.
AT 1:4O D. m. a match applied and
instantly the quvering body was enveloped
I'm flames. Fence rails were pitched about
the burning body and soon life was ex-
tinct. The negro made no outcry at any
time and died as stolidly as stole. There
were no disorderly scenes about the burn
ing body. At least 5000 people witnessed
the horrible fate of the negro. Many re-
mained until nightfali, augmenting the
blaze until the body was entirely consumed.
They then departed for their homes
quietly.
Lying on the floor of the family room
her face splashed with clotted blood and
the oaken planks stained with the same
drops. Charles Williams found his devoted
young wife Friday afternoon when he
turned from marketing his wheat in the
little town of Maxwell. A heavy bullet had
gone through her head, life was completely
extinct and her two baby children were
crying aloud their grief and fear. The
oldest boy. aged five years, told what had
occurred The young mother had been
shot and killed by Henry Noles. a negro
hand on Williams's place. As the mortality
wounded woman sank to the floor. Noles
shot at the boy. the bullet grazing the
child's head. The negro fed to the woods.
williams's neighbors were stirred TO the
pitch of exscting merciless and summary
justice. On receipt of news of the crime
Sheriff Stewart departed for the scene with
bloodhounds. A posse of determined citi-
zens. well armed and provided with a rope.
was also on Noles's trail
cit is reported that the motive was rob-
berry and that so was obtained by the
murderer. Mr.. Williams is a farmer. we'll
to-do and one OF the most prominent resi-
dents Of his part OF Franklin county The
dead woman was a member of one of the
oldest and most respected families i'm the
county. OF the two children. the oldest is
just five years old. They were the only
witnesses OF the tragedy"