Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-30
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
Mob Overpowered Sheriff and Depu-
 ties and Took Prisoner.

IleS duu LOOK ITlSOHGI.
 Barlow, Fla, May 30.-Fred Ro- chelle, a negro, 8 years old, who at noon yesterday assaulted and then murdered Mrs Rena Taggart, a promi- nent white woman of this city, was burned at the stake here in the pres ence of q great throng. The burning was on the scene of the negro's crime, within 100 yards of the principal thor oughfare of this city.
 The assault and murder was one of the boldest ever committed in Florida. At 10 o'clock yesterday morning Mrs Taggart, who was born and raised ill this place, went fishing alone i'll small rowboat that she kept at the city bridge over Piaco creek This is in full view of the public thoroughfare. A few minutes before noon, desiring to return home, she rowed her boat to the bridge and made it fast.
 A negro was fishing from the bridge at the time Mrs Taggart started for home, and had proceeded only a 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. He seized her, and she broke loose, and, screaming, ran from the swamp into the prairie, where he overlook her.
 After the assault he held her with his hands and knees and, taking the knife from his pocket, cut her throat from ear to ear,causing instant death.
 In a few minutes the crime had been reported, and in less than an hour practically the entire city was in arms and 9 well armed posse was moving in every direction in search of the crini- nal. Bloodhounds were obtained and all night fruitless search was con- tinued.
 About noon courier arrived, an nouncing that the negro had been cap tured by two other negroes three miles south of the city. Posses immediate ly were on the trail, but the capfurers evaded detection and succeeded in get ting their prisoner quickly into the city and in turning him over to the sheriff of Polk county.
 In less than 10 minutes after the transfer had been made the streets became congested, and the crowd, augmented as it marched, moved on the jail
 Tn spite of the sheriff and strong guard of extra deputies, who made every effort to protect him from mob violence, it captured the prisoner and took up the march to the scene of the crime.
 The stake was the only suggestion as to the proper expatiation of the crime, and without organized effort, and yet with apparently unanimous understanding, barrel was in readi- ness and was placed by the stake on tie very spot where Mrs Taggart was assaulted and murdered.
 On this the negro was placed and chained to the stake. He pleaded for mercy, but in the great crowd around him silence was the only response. There were no jeers, no swearing, no disorder. Before the chains around his body had been made fast cans of kerosene oil from many sources, were passed to the front, and one of the leaders stepped to the negro and slow ly but deliberately poured it upon him and his clothes until barrel and clothes were well saturated.
 It was then 6 o'clock. The crowd was growing, and business in the city had practically been suspended When the match was applied the blaze quickly leaped skyward. The burning body could be seen only as dark object in the circle of a roaring flame Then tie fire slackened. and the Writhing body came back in full view, but already the groans had ceased and the only evidence of life was in the contortions of the muscles of the limbs.
 For 15 minutes tha body burned. and in half hour from the minute of the application of the match only the charred bones were left as a reminder of the negro's crime and his fate. The crowd dispersed as orderly as it had gathered, and at S:30 the city was quiet.