Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-01-17
BURNED At THE STAKE
Horrible Death Of a Negro Charged
With Grave Grimes.
MANY TAKE PART.
The Burning Takes Place In LeaVen-
worth aud Eight thousand Peo-
pie Witness the Awful Sight.
The Governor Indignant.

Leavenworth, Jan. lb.-fred Aiex-
ander, the negro who Saturday evening
attempted 10 assault Miss Eva Roth.
and who wus supposed to have assault
ed and killed Pearl Forbes in this city
In November last. was Tuesday after.
noon taken from the sheriii's guard and
burned at the stake az the scene of his
crimes. half dozen blocks from the
center u the city Probably sOOOpcople
witnessed the lynchiug.
Alexander was brought % the city
from the pauitentiary nt lansing at $50
O'Clock Ia the afternoon ond placed in
the county Jail The citizens gathered
In great numbers and finding peaceable
entrance 10 the Jail impossible, armed
themselves with railroad iron The
Jail doors were battered down and Alex.
ander was dragged 10 the scene where
Pearl Forbes was murdered. followed by
hundreds of bowling, frenzicd men aud
boys
The negro was quickly driven down
the emhankment to the pile of wood
with his hands shackled and there
bound 20 stake Long before the wagon
containing the doomed man arrived at
the place a crowd had gathered Many
carried rails and boards Several seized
railroad rails and carried them 10 the
rayine
The first thing done was to plant the
railroad iron upright In the mud This
was made fast 10 cross irons firmly
bound 10 the upright withwire Around
the stake wood and boards were piled.
To this the man was dragged and
chained IN standing position to the up
right iron Chains and irons were then
wrapped about him aud with hi. hand.
still shackled, coal oil was poured over
him and the match provided
Before the match was applied, John
Forbes, the father u Pearl FORBES,
stepped up 10 Alexander aud said
Are you guilty Of numbering my
daughter"
II don't know what YOU have nae her,
for said the doomed man.
For killing my girl on this very
spot, " Forbes replied
"Mr Forbes, If that is your name
you have the wrong man.
The mob bocame inpatient and burr
him came from every quarter
Coil oil was then applied for the secon,
time and while this was being don,
Alexander called to friends in the crow,
and told them goodbye. lie did no
seem 90 realize that he was to b. burne,
at the stake and talked nationally unit
John Forbes, the father Of the mur
dered girl, lighted the match. Again
Alexander was asked 10 make con
fession but he replied that he had moth
ing IN say.
As the flames leaped about him h
turned CHASTITY pale lie claspcd hi
hands together and began 20 swing 3
and fro, while the crowd yelled Il
less than five minutes he was hangin
limp and ifeless by the chains t,a
bound him.
As soon as the crowd saw that liz
was extinct Il began slowly 20 dispers,
There were hundreds Of the morbi
however, who stayed Men KEEP, pilin
on wood all the time until about
o'clock when the flames were allowe
10 die down.
From 9 TO 3 O'Clock there was cor
tinuous stream Of people going 10 th
scene Of the burning These were pet
sons who had been unable to get awa
from their work In the afternoon, bu
are determined not 10 miss seeing th
awful spectacle
When tho fire had died down suil
ciontly 10 allow the crowd 10 approac
what remained Of Alexander there WI
} a wild scramble 20 obtain relics. bic, ,
charred flesh. pieces of chain. Straps ,
wood, everything that could possbl
serve ~ a souvenir was seized aud wit
morbid oagerness.