The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-01-18
KANSAS
DISGRACED
Fred Alexander Burned at
Stake at Leavenw Orth
Was Accused but StOutly De-
MED Having Murdered
Pearl Forbes
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT NEAR
Governor Stanley Indignant
and Blames the Sheriff
Will Investigate and Urge
the Restoration of Capt.
tai Punishment
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT NEAR
Governor Stanley Indignant
and Blames the Sheriff

DeaVenWOrth. Kansas, Jan. 10 -
Fred Alexander, the negro arrested
for assaulting Miss Roth Saturday
night, and accused also of the murder
of Pearl Forbes last November, was
burned at the stake by mob this
afternoon. He died protesting his in
nocence During the day three young
white women positively identified him
as the man who had attempted to as
sault them.
Shortly after noon yesterday Sheriff
Everhardy and several deputies and
Tertiary at Lansing and requested
Warden Tomlinson to turn Alexander
over to them. The warden called up
Governor Stanley by telephone and
laid the matter before him. The gov
ernor supported the stand taken by
Warden TomlinsOn, requiring guar
antee of the prisoners safety from the
sheriff. beiore delivering him.
The sheriff finally swore in as depu-
ties some sixty men who had gathered
out of curiosity at the penitentiary.
The prisoner was then turned over to
the sheriff and posse and driven with
out incident to the county jail about
which a crowd had gathered.
A demand was made on him for the
keys of the Jail. but that was refused
He was asked to bringsthe prisoner
ont $50 we can get a look at him, :"
but that, too, was refused. The crowd,
the ringleaders. the front and fore
most of them being aged William
Forbes, the father of the murdered
girl, were by that time over the stock
ade on the south side of thei jail and
batteringlat theloak door, with man
for the.ram. They had found the door
locked, but found a man to volunteer
for the battering ram. On high they
hoisted himiand hurled hisfeet against
the barrier. Soon it gave way.
Alexander heard the murmuring Of
the crowd without, the demand for the
keys and every blow of the sledges on
the iron door. He heard the demand
for the keys, and the answer 81 guess
this one will fit"
And it did. 1t was the right key
and was found on the table in the
sheriff's office. AT the moment of its
discovery" Sheriff Everhardy was
ten feet away, declaring he would new
err give up the keys or his prisoner.
When eventually the shivering
wretch was hustled out into the open,
through the collapsed stockade,
across the street to the court house.
The crowd yelled.
"Confess," the men holding him 10y
the arms demanded.
Burn him." the crowd demanded.
Some cried to have him hanged3 where
he stood, and others TO have him
shot.
"Confess, - was the demand.
Il have nothing to confess. men,
was the reply. 81 have not done ..any
thing. You have got thewrong man.
BY this time the crowd was at it,
densest. There were estimates as higf
as 1000, and none under 1000. Nc
one wore a mask. Every man knew
his fellow. Public officials were in the
outskirts of the crowd. Only one
name was mentioned. "That's ole
Mr.. Forbes" the tongues said.
"Did you murder my girl? Tell u'
that before we harm YOU" the ole
man asked.
"Mr. Forbes, If that is your name,
the negro said, ~ never touched YOU
girl. tell you another man did /
and YOU men will run up against hin
some day. You are agoin' to kill M
anyway. and would confess if ! haC
done it. / never done it.
Ten times, fifty times, AleXande
made this declapation.
He was backed up to a COTTONWOOD
tree on the lawn of the court hous
and told that he would be chained Il
il and burned on the spot. Comics
now" they demanded, but again tn
man protested his innocence.
Across the street, ON u box, stood
woman. "That is the man, she said
"that assaulted me" The crowd ha
heard her evidence That evidenc
was "a sentence and the mob was can
rying tout.
"Don't burn him here" was cried
Take him to where he killed Mis-
Forbes" and away went the GROVE
1t fairly ran pell nell for the scene
the November murder.