The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-30
BURNED At THE STAKE
Negro CrimlnalIy Assaulted and Then
Murdered a White Woman.
TOOK PLACE At SCENE OF THE CRIME
One OF the Boldest Crimes Ever Com
nitted in Florids-Aven9ers were
Resolute and Determined.

Barlow. Fla. May 29.-F'red Rochelle,
black negro. IS years old, VINO at noon
Yesterday crimnally assaulted and then
murdered Mrs Rena Taggart, wen known
and respectable white woman Of TINS city
was burned at the stake here TINS evening
in the presence of a throng of people. me
bmrnlng was on the scene of the negro's
crime within 100 yards Of the principal
thoroughfarc Of this city.
The assault and murder was one of the
bnldcst crimes ever committed in Florida.
At 10 o'clock yesterday morning Mrs. rag
CART. who was born and reared In TINS
place and was woman of good family
aud reputation. went fishing alone IN
small rowboat that she kept at the city
bridge over Piaco creek. This is In run
view of the public thoroughfare. rev
minutes before noon Mrs Taggart, desiring
to return bone, roNed her boat to the
bridge and made 1t fast. negro man was
fishing from the bridge at the time. Mrs.
Taggart started home and had proeeedeu
only Il few steps in the swamp toward the
open prairie and thence to the street when
she was approached by Rochelle, who had
been hiding in the swamp lie sliced her
and she broke loose and screaming ran
from the swamp into the prairie. where he
overlook her, overpowered her and com
mitted the assault. After the assault, while
she was PROSTATE he held her with his
hands and knees and, taking his knife from
his pocket, cut her throat from ear to ear
causing instant death. He then walked To
thn negro who had been fishing on the
fridge and who was thoroughly, frightened
and asked him what he should do with
aNs. l...1ss fa1Il tn /
It was, but unheedful of this request. ne
took the body In his arms and carried 1t
back to the swamp, threw 1t down ana
escaped into the interior of the swamp.
A few minutes later the crime had been
reported and in less than an hour prac
tlcally the entire city was In arms ana
well armed posses were moving In every
direction In search of the criminal. Blood
hounds were secured and all night fruit
less search was continued. This mo ming
no trace of the negro had been secured
and the people were becoming more dtS
perate to apprehend him. About noon a
courier arrived announcing that the negro
had been captured three miles south 1T the
city. Posses were Immediately on the
trail, but the capturers evaeed detection
and succeeded in getting their prisoner
quickly into the city and In turning him
over to the sheriff of Polk county. In less
than ten minutes after the transfer had
been made, AS though the news had been
flashed voluntarily throughout the city and
neighborhood, the streets became congestcd
with people and the crowd, augmenting as
1t marched. moved upon the jail. In spite
of the sheriff and n strong guard of extra
deputies. VINO made every effort tn protect
him from mob violence, they secured the
prisoner and took him to the scene of the
crime. He was half dragged half carried
to the bridge, cnveloped by a great tnrong
OF people of all ages. who were rcsolute and
determined hut quiet and orderly Scream
after scream broke from the wretch's quiv
ering lips, followed by groans and prayers
for mercy. At the bridge the mob turned
toward the prairie and then to the swamp
and then TO the scene of the crime, BY
common consent burning was to be the
penalty. There were no ropes and no plans
for lynching by hanging.
The stake was the only suggestion as to
the proper eNpation OF the crime and
without organized effort and vet with ap
parently unanimous understanding "A barrel
was In readiness and was pk,ced by the
stake on the very spot whore Mrs. Taggart
had been assaulted and murdered.
ON this the negro was placed and chained
10 the stake. Louder and louder ana more
desperate grew his pleadlngs to God and
around him silence was the only response.
Ihere were no leers; no swearing, no dis
order, Before the chains around his body
had been made fast, cans of kerosene were
passed to the center and one of the lead
ers stepped TO the body and slowly hut
deliberately poured 1t upon him and his
T r.,i l nntll the clothes and barrel We're
wen saturated. II was then o'clock. The
crowd was growing Business In the city
had been suspended and all eyes were
the match was applied. AS though by ex
plosion the blaze quickly leaped skyward
In volume The burning body could be
seen only as dark object in the circle Of
maddened roaring flame Then the fire
lessened in speed and the writing BODY
came back, into full view but already the
groans had ceased and the only evideuce
muscles u the limbs For fifteen minutes
the body burned and In half an hour from
inc time Of the, application Of the match
only the cnarred remains were left The
crowd dispersed as orderly as il had o,ths
eret ana at $50 tonight the city was