The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-01-17
Lynching in Kansas.

Fred Alexander, a negro, who on Sat
urday evening, attempted to assault
Miss Eva Roth, and who was supposed
10 have assaulted and killed Pearl Forbes
In Lesvenworth, Kan, 10 November lat.
WAS taken from the sberiff7s guard by a
mob, Tuesday, aud burned at the stake
at the scene of bis crimes, half a dozen
blocks from the centre of the CITY.
Probably eight thousand people wit
messed the lynching.
The negro was taken from bis cell at
the State penitentiary, Tuesday after
noon, and carried to town. Fifty deputy
marshals surrounded him and deputy
sheriffs in the hack on either side of
him. Fifty vehicles followed the hack
The trip to the town was made quietly.
Later the negro was taken from the
jail by mob composed of eight thous.
and people. The sheriff refused to give
him up but apparently offered very little
resistance to the mob. The negro WAS
dragged into the open. He had been
struck over the head with hammer,
but was still conscious. Men fought to
get at him, and, Infatuated, struck
savagely at him. hitting only his cap
tors, who guarded him well.
Don't hurt him now" they cried.
"We'll burn him."
Up the hill into the court house yard
they dragged him and there they stop
ped. In reply to demands for a confess
sion, the negro said: II am innocent.
| am dying for what another man did
| lpfa Of M friapdo hara hox
| did not do 1t. II had been guilty [
would have said so at the penitentiary
and would have stayed there for life.
The warden told me so. The policemen
told me 80. Would not have told them
If | was guilty?'
The suggestion to take the man to the
place of the murder met with instant ap-
proval and the crowd, carrying the
negro, pushed on towards Fourth street
He was thrown into wagon which
| started for the vicinity Of Lawrence and
Spruce streets, followed by the crowd
At quarter past five o'clock, Alexander
was brought to the scene of the murder
OF Pearl Forbes, at The corner of Law
renee avenue and Spruce street, and
there semi-circle was formed. Alex
ander was brought up In wagon with n
dozen men. The wagon was stopped in
front of the ravi1e 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, but
the crowd drowned his trembling voice
The negro was driven down the en-
bankBent to the pile of wood with his
hands still shackled, and there bound to
the stake. Long before the wagon con-
tanning he doomed man arrived at the
place crowd had gathered. Many car
rico rdilS and boards. Several seized
railroad irons and carried them to the
ravine.
He was bound to piece of railroad
iron driven into the ground, fuel WAS
heaped up under and around him, he
was saturated with coal oil and the
match was applied by Forbes, the father
of the murdered girl. In five minutes
by the chains. As soon MS the crowd
saw that life was extinct, it began slow
ly to disperse. Hundreds, however,
stayed to the last.
Governor Stanley ordered Warden
Tomlinson to refuse to turn Alexander
over to the sheriff unless he agreed in
writing to protect him and is Indignant
over the lynching at Leavenworth. He
says it will result in the establishment
of the death penalty In Kansas as it
should do.
Gov. Stanley condemns Sheriff Eyer
hardy of Leavenwortb in unmeasured
terms. He says the Sheriff should be
made to make suitable retribution If such
a thing is possible.