The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-27
LYNCHED AND
ROASTED.

was captured today and confessed his
crime. Immediately after he was put
in jail mob assembled. dragged hum
out and lynched him. After he was
dead his body was burned. Ward
was recently dis charged from an in
sane asylum as cured.
The murder of Miss Finklestein
was a most brutal one. She was
walking through lonely strip OF
woods yesterday on the way from the
Schoolhousc to tile lnterurban Elcc-
trio Line, three miles east of Terre
Haute, and was assaulted by Ward.
who shot her in the back Of her head
and cut her throat, severing the
windpipe. After the distardly as
sault Miss Finklesteln ran for half
mile to a farmhouse, with blood
streaming from her wounds, and fell
unconscious on the doorsteps. She
died at II O'Clock last night.
Several sus spects were arrested TO-
day, among them Ward, who was
formerly employed in the car works
here. 1t was soon noised about that
he had confessed and that his de-
meanor was that Of one demented,
In his confession Ward said Miss
Finkelstein tainted him about his
color and then struck him in the face
In a fit of anger he shot her and then
cut her throat. A bloodstained knife
found in his pocket corroborated the
statement.
Ward when first captured, strcnu-
ously denied his guilt, but when Sc.
verely questioned finally confessed.
He failed to explain, however, how
he came to be engaged in CONVERSE
ti0n with the victim and tile ot1cials
believe it was either an unproyoked
murder or the deed of a maniac.
Hardly had the man been placed in
his cell when q mob began to gather.
Shortly after noon it arrived in front
of the county Jail. IL was wrought
to a tremendous pitch Of fury and no
attempt at concealmcnt was made.
The jail keys were demanded and re-
fused. The leaders charged against
the outer door Of the jai! and batter.
cd it down.
Jailcr Lawrence ODonnell appear
ed with a shotgun and fired over the
crowd in vain effort to stampede
them.
Three Deputy SheritTs were wound.
ed by shots from the crowd.
Word Of Wards confession was
passed through the streets and the
crowd re-enforced by hundreds OF re-
crults, redoubled its attack on the
Jail.
At IA they succeeded in reach
ing Wards cell. He was quickly
dragged out to the street and lynched
Ward was dragged from his cell, q
rope placed around his neck and he
was dragged down the street to a
wagon bridge spanning the Wabash
River. M
On the way to the bridge three
blocks distant, Ward was beaten With
clubs and repeatedly shot at. Ho8
was unconscious and in all probabili,
tv dead when the loose end of the
rope was tied to timber of tha
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, hasti-
ly drew the body back npon the !
bridge.
Hundreds Of hands grasped the
rope and the body was dragged across
to the west side. A huge bonfire was
quickly built, the body was thrown
upon the fire and in a short time was
burned to crisp. AS the body lay
across the fire, the feet projected
from one side and the head from the
other. Members Of the mob were
dissatisfied with the contiagration,
however, and quantities of oil and
turpentina were poured upon the pile
The flames leaped higher and higher
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 pre-.
pared Ito hang him a great crowd
collected along the riverside. This
kept on increasing in size As thousands
Of men, women and children hurried
to the scene.
After it was determined to burn the
negro bar was placed across the
bridge to prevent the crowd from
pressing closer and when the fire was
lighted and the body thrown into the
flames the east bank Of the river, the
bridges up and down stream, and
hundreds Of house tops were black
with spectators from whom not q
word Of pity escaped although many
deprecated the burning of the body.
The Sheriff was absent when the
mob descended upon the Jail. His
deputies put up a vigorous resistance
and at first appeared to have success
fully beaten of the crowd but on the
second onslaught the infurIated mob
variOuSly estimatada AT 1000 10 5000 in
number swept away al obstacles.
MURDERER OVERS TO BE HANGED
Frederick, Md, Feb. 26. 6.--Cephas
Z. OAcrS, coIorcd was found guilty OF
murder in the :irst degree IN the
Circuit Court for Frederick County
this afternoon and sentenced by
Judge McShcrry to be hanged on a
day to be fixed b. the Governor. i
Overs shot aud Killed Frank 7. Den
ldson, a 9o-ycar-old white boy. VI,
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