The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-31
NEGRO RAPIsT BURNED BY
FLORIDA MOB.
Law COULD NOT PROTECT
Officers Make Strong Effort to
Save Wretch fron. the
Awful Fate.

Chelle, a negro, so years OIL age, WHO
yesterday criminally assaulted and
then murdered Mrs. Rena Taggart, a
we'll known and highly respected
white woman of this city, was burned
at the stake here early this evening
in the presence of a throng of peo-
pie. The burning was OF the scene
of the principle th%oroughfare of the
city.
The assault and murder was one Of
the boldest and coolest blooded crimes
ever committed in Florida. Yesterday
morning Mrs. Taggart went fishing
alone in a small row boat that she
kept at the city bridge over Piaco
creek. This is in full view of the pub
lie th%oroughfare. A few minutes be-
fore noon, desiring to return home,
she rowed her boat to the bridge and
made it fast. Rochelle was fishing
from the bridge at the time. Mrs.
Taggart started home and had pro-
ceeded only a few steps in the swamp
toward open prairie and thence to
the street, when she was approached
by Rochelle. who had been hiding in
the swamp. He seized her, but she
broke loose and ran screaming from
the swamp into the prairie where he
overlook her.
- cu+ Victim's Throat.
/ After the outrage the negro took his
knife from his pocket and cut her
throat from ear to ear, causing in
slant death. He then walked to an
other negro who had been fishing on
the bridge and asked him what he
should do with tie bodT. He was told
to leave it where it was, but unheed-
full of this advice he took the bleeding
form in his arms and carried it back
to the swamp. threw it down and ,es-
capped into the interior of the swamp.
In a few minutes the crime had
been reported an. in less than an
hour practically the entire city was in
arms and a we'll armed posse was
moving in every direction in search OF
the criminal. Bloodhounds were Sc
cured and all night the fruitless
search was continued. This morn
ing no trace of the negro had been
secured and people were becoming
more determined to %apprehend him,
as the chance for his final escape
seemed to grow.
Negroes His Captors.
About noon a courier arrived an.
n%ouncing that the negro had been cap
tured by two other negros three miles
from the city. Posses were immedi
ately on the trail, but the captors
evaded detection and succeeded il
getting their prisoner pluckily in tt
the city and turning him over to the
sheriff of Polk county.
In less t.lan ten minutes after tn
transfer had been made the streets
became congested with people, and tn
crowd, augmented as it marched
moved on the Jail. In spite of tn
sheriff and strong guard of eXtr;
deputies, who made every effort t
protect him from the mob's vengeance
they secured the prisoner and too
up the march to the scene of tn
crime. He was. half dragged, hal
carried to the bridge, enveloped in
great thrcng of people Of all ages
who were resolute and determined
scream broke from the wretch's qui,
ering lips, followed by groans an
prayers for mercy. At the bridge tn
mob turned toward the prairie an
then into the swamp and to the seen
of the negro's crime.
His Doom Sealed.
By common consent, burning was t
be the penalty. The stake was tn
only suggestion as to the proper xpi;
ton of the crime.
A barrel was in readiness an
was placed by the stake on tn
very spot where Mrs. Taggart wa
murdered. On this the negro wa
placed and chained to the stake. H
pleaded for. mercy, but in the gres
crowd around him silence was tt
only response. There were no jeer
no swearing. no disorder. Before tt
chains around his body had bee
made fast, cans Of kerosene oil fro
many sources were passed to tt
front and one of the leaders steppe
to the negro and slowly, and delibe
ately poured it upon him and h
clothes until the clothes and barr