Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-16

Conttnaec FROM First Page.

wood tree in corner of the court
house yard. The negro was backed
I'D against it and chain was hunted
for One could not be found and
while they waited Alexander was
given another chance to confess.
my God, men," he cried in his
agony, Il have told you that l am in
nocent. l can't tell you any more.
did not do it.
HE lies; burn him." cried the mob
Take him where he committed the
murder" suggested one.
The Suggestion Met with Approval.
and the crowd carrying the negro,
pushed on towards Fourth street
There were many wagons standing
about, and into one Of these they
threw him. The wagon was started
for the vicinity of Lawrence avenue
and Spruce streets, followed by the
crowd.
At a quarter past five o'clock Alex
ander was brought to the scene of the
murder of Pearl Forbes, at the corner
of Lawrence avenue and Spruce street.
The exact spot where the murdered
girl was found was located by the
leaders of the crowd, and there semi
circle was formed. Alexander was
brought up in wagon with dozen
men.
The wagon was stopped in front of
the ravine and surrounded by the
crowd, the leader of the men, who held
Alexander, called for silence. The
roar ceased and Alexander was showed
forward into full view of the crowd.
A howl went up which was quickly
hushed as the prisoner raised his
shackled hands and began to speak.
Twice he started. but the crowd
drowned his trembling voice.
You are going to kill me whatever
/ say" he said, shut you men are
wrong. / want to tell you right now,
you've got the wrong man. l did not
do that and some day you men here
will run UP against the man who did.
/ know it amt any use to say so, for
you're going to kill me, but l didn't
do it.
The men standing behind Alexander
then showed him from the wagon and
the roar from the crowd drowned
every other sound. The negro was
quickly driven down the embankment
to the pile of wood, with his hands
still shackled and there bound 10 the
stake.
Long before the wagon containing
the doomed man arrived at the place,
a crowd had gathered. Many carried
rails and boards. Several seized "a l.
road irons and carried them to the
ravine. The spot chosen for the
stake was the exact one on which
Pearl Forbes body was found on the
morning of November 7th.
The first thing done was to
Plant a Railroad Iron Upright
in the mud. This was made fast to
cross irons firmly bound to the up
right iron with wire. Around the i'm
provised stake wood and boards were
piled. To this the man was dragged
and chained in standing position to
the upright railroad iron. Chains and
irons were wrapped about him and
with his hands still shackled he was
made fast to the post. Coal oil was
then poured over him.
Before the match was applied John
Forbes, father of the murdered girl,
stepped up to Alexander and said:
Are you guilty of numbering my
daughter"
Il don't know what you have me
here for" said Alexander.
Forbes replied
For killing my girl on this very
spot"
Mr. Forbes, if that is your name,
you have the wrong man." said the
negro.
Burn him; burn him., cried the
crowd
Gentlemen, you've got lots of
time" said Alexander, you're burn
ing an innocent man. You took ad-
vantage of me. You gave me no
show. Can | see my mother?''
A man in the crowd called for the
mother, but she was not in the crowd.
Alexander then said:
will you let me shake hands with
all my friends?"
You have no friends in this crowd,
you damned beast said one of the
men in charge of the negro. IF you
have anything to say, say it in a hur-
ry."
Another man then stepped up and
said to Alexander:
Make your peace with your God,
niger, for you will surely die"
Coal Oil Was Then Applied
for the second time, and while it was
being done, Alexander called to ac-
quaintances in the crowd, and said
goodbye to them. He did not seem
to realize that he was to be burned
at the stake, and talked nationally I'M
til John Forbes, the father of the
murdered girl, lighted the match
Again Alexander was asked to make
a confession, but he replied that he
had nothing to say
AS the flames leaped about him,
Alexander turned a CHASTITY hue. and,
clasping his hands together, began to
sway to and fro while the crowd yell
ed.
In five minutes the negro was hang
Ing limp and lifeless by the chains
that bound him. AS soon as the
crowd saw that life was extinct it
began to slowly disperse. Hundreds,
however, stayed to the last.
Men kept piling on wood all the
time until about Z O'Clock when the
flames We're allowed to die down.
From to s o'clock there was a con-
s tinuous stream of people going to the
scene of the burning. These were
persons who had been unable to get
away from their work in the after