Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-08
Burn. negro At STAKE
Alabama Mob Visits Terrible
VENGEANCE on q Colored
Rapist.
John Wesley Pennington Con-
fesses His Crime and Is
Burned to Death.
Prisoner Faints as He Sees the
Preparations for His
Execution.

Birmingham, Ala, Aug. S.-Witf1 ago.
i!izing screams and his eyes bullying
from his head John Wesley Penning-
ton, negro, was burned at the stake
near Enterprise, Ala, before crowd
of 500 enraged and determined citizens
of Coffee county yesterday. The mob
was composed of both whites and
blacks, and tho the suffering wretch
pleaded for mercy and frantically en-
deavored to break the chains that tight
iy bound him, not a trace of sympathy
was shown on the faces that peered at
him thru the flames. Pennington had
committed a brutal assault upon Mrs.
j. c. Davis, the wife of one of the most
prominent farmers of Coffee county, and
confessed his guilt.
The crime was committed Tuesday
afternoon, when Mrs. Davis was gather
! ing vegetables in her garden. She was
/, STOPPING over plucking tomatoes when
Pennington slipped up from behind her
and threw her to the ground. He choked
| the fear-stricken woman into insensi-
hility, accomplished his purpose and
| fled thru the woods near by. AS soon as
she regained consciousness Mrs. Davis
crawled to the house and told her hus-
land what had happened.
| A large posse was quickly organized
and they chased the negro with blood
| hounds until early in the morning. when
he was captured in swamp. Penning-
ton was bound hand and foot and taken
| hack to the Davis home for identifica-
| ton. Word of the assault on Mrs. Davis
had been sent by runners for miles
| around and every farmer in the neigh
| borhood either Joined in the search or
/ went to the Davis home to await the re-
turn of the searchers. There is not a
4 telegraph office in Coffee county, but the
i messengers Travelled fast and when the
Rose arrived yesterday morning with
4 Pennington there were at least 500 per-
| sons gathered near the Davis home. A
| great shout went up when the prisoner
| was seen by the crowd. but at signal
| the men withdrew to the woods and quiz
| etly awaited the result of the meeting
\ of Pennington and Mrs. Davis. Mrs.
Il Davis Immediately recognized him and
L The negro broke down and wept. He adj
l mitted having committed the assault
and pleaded for mercy, but with cries OF
terror the trembling man was dragged
from the house and into the woods
where the crowd had gathered,
Eveidently expecting the confession
several of the citizens had alread.
driven an iron pipe into the ground ano
ae the men approached with Penning-
ton both whites and blacks We're piline
brush wood around the stake. The ne
gro saw his doom and with scream OF
terror fell to the ground in faint. He
vas quickly revived and dragged to the
stake. while the crowds stood silently
hv. The frightened man was limp ant
had to be held up while the chains were
fastened around his neck and body
/ When all was ready the signal was CIV
en- and the crowd stood back. A mater
was applied to the pile and, with oil t
feed upon. the tiny fame soon burs
into a roaring fire.
The terrified negro again pleaded TO
mercy in the most agonizing tones AM
prayed to God that those around hin
might perish. He then called upon TN
Maker for forgiveness and as the flame
leaped up and encircled his neck an un
earthly Shrek was heard and the man
eyes had almost bulged out of the sock
cts.
BY this time the fire had gained sue
Roadway that nothing could be see
: excepting wriggling motion in TIL
center of the circle of fire. A deathl
silence followed and in a few mintue
the flames had sufficiently subsidized t
show that Pennington's head had falle
forward and hung limp over the iro
chain. The body was quickly consume
and all of Pennington that RENAME
was pile of ashes
The crowd then quietly dispersed.