The Portland daily press., 1901-02-27
CLUBBED
Then Repeatedly Shot At
by Mob.
Body Finally Burned to
Ashes.
How Mob Treated a Negro in
Terre llaute, Ind.
M an Murdered a White
School Teacher.
Was Taken From Jail and
Lynched.


George Ward, "a years old. q oolored man,
formerly employed in the car works here,
was arrested today and according to the
police, has confessed having murdered
Ida FinkIestein, the school teacher, who
was found dying last evening In grove
outside the city.
Ward had recently been discharged from
an insane asylum as cured. Apparently
he was demented. In his confession Ward
said Miss Finklsstein taunted him about
bis color and then struck him In the
face. In lit OF anger he shot her and
then cut her throat. A blood stained
knife found In his pocket corroborated
the statement.
Ward when first captured strenuously
denied his guilt, but severely questioned
finally confessed.
At l2 80 p. M, a mob gathered in front
OF the county jai |, where Ward was con-
lined, and battered down the outer doors.
Jailer Lawrence o'DonneIl appeared with
a shot gun and fired over the crowd in
vain effort to stampede them. Three
deputy sheriffs were wounded by shots
from the crowd.
Word of Wards confession was passed
through the streets and ths-crowd, rein
forced by hundreds or recruits redoubled
its attack on the jail.
The sheriff was absent when the mob
descended upon the jail. His deputies
put up q vigorous resistance and at first
appeared TO have successfully beaten oil
the crowd. but on the second onslaught
the mob, variously estimated at two to
three thousand in number, swept away
all obstacles.
Ward was dragged from his cell, a rope
was placed around his neck and he was
dragged down the street to a wagon
bridge spanning the Wabash river.
On the way to the bridge, three blocks
distant, Ward was beaten with clubs and
repeatedly shot at. He was unconscious
and in all probability dead when the
loose end of the rope was tied to timber
of the bridge and his body swung out
over the stream,
A strand of the rope suddenly broke and
the leaders fearing their prey might drop
into the river hastily drew the body hac K
upon the bridge.
1t was dragged across to the west side.
A huge bon fre was quickly built and
the body was thrown upon the fire.
Ward body was laid aroo IS the tire, the
feet projecting from one side and the
head from the other.
Members of the mob were dissatisfied
with the conflagration, however, and
- Ill nd Eur
poured upon the pile. The flames ieaped
In the air and in short time little was
left OF the negro.
A vast crowd witnessed the final act in |
the lynching. When the mob dragged
Ward TO the bridge and prepared to hang |
him a great crowd collected along the
river side. This kept on increasing in |
size as thousands OF men, women ana
children hurried to the scene. After IL
was determined to burn the negro a bar
was placed across the bridge to prevent
the crowd from pressing closer ana when |
the fire was lighted and the body thrown
into the flames the east bank or the river, |
the bridges up and down the stream, and !
hundreds of house tops were black with |
4uOSc VIM bOoA an aObANc
part In the iynchlng made no attempt at |
disguise.
Ihe certainty that the wretch was dead |
did not Appease the anger of the mob. |
With grim determination they fed the |
flames and watched the flesh shriyel to
rlnders and the bones crumble and burn. |
Souvenir hunters we're on hand in |
force and fragments of the body are now |
scattered broadcast. One man, while
he feet protruded from the flames. offered
u for toe from .'the nigger's foot" A
youth drawing knife from
bis pocket made dash for the prize. He
quickly amputated toe delivered the
goods and got his monsy. AS the bones
hs ran to crumble and fall apart the frag-
me nts were drawn from the nre and |
carried away.
AT two olosk there was nothing left |
1f the body except a small section OF the i
runk and tae back OF the head.
Husy hands sept the burning fsggoss