The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-09
ALABAMA RAPE FIEND BURNED
AT STAKE.
He ADMITTED HIS GUILT
Begged for Mercy But No Trace
of Sympathy Was Shown
By Mob.

Birmingham, Ala, Aug. with
agonizing scream and his eyes bulg-
ing from his head, John Wesley Pen
nington, a negro, was burned at the
stake near Enterprise, Ala, before a
crowd of 500 enraged and determined
citizens of COTE county this morning.
The mob was composed of both
whites and blacks and though the
suffering wretch pleaded for mercy
and frantically e~ndeavored to break
the chains that tightly bound him,
not a trace of sympathy was shown on
the faces that peered at him through
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 confess
ed his guilt. The crime was commit
ted yesterday, while Mrs. Davis was
gathering vegetables in her garden.
She was STOPPING over plucking to-
matoes when Pennington slipped up
from behind her and drew her to the
ground. He choked the fear stricken
woman to insensibility accomplishing
his intention and fed through the
woods near by.
AS 500 as she regained her senses,
Mrs. Davis crawled to tn house and
told her husband what had happened.
A large posse was quickly organized
with blood hounds and they chased
the negro until about s O'Clock this
morning when he was captured. Pen
nington was bound hand and foot and
taken back to the Davis home for
identification. Word of the assault
On Mrs. Davis had been sent by run
ners for miles around Enterprise and
every farmer in the ~neighborhood had
Joined in the search. Some of them
werestoo late to join the pursuing par
ty and went to the Davis home and
waited the return. There is not a
telegraph Office in Coffee county but
the messengers travelled fast and when
the posse arrived this morning with
Pennington there we're at least 500
persons gathered near the Davis resi-
dence. A great shout went up when
the prisoner was seen by the crowd
but at a signal the men withdrew to
the woods and awaited the result of
the meeting of Pennington and Mrs.
Davis. Mrs. Davis recognized him
and the negro broke down. He admit
ted having committed the crime and
though he pladed for mercy with
cries of terror, the trembling mar was
dragged from the house and into the
woods where the crowd had gathered.
Evidently expecting the confession
several of the citizens had already
driven an iron pole in the ground
and as the men approached with Pen
nington both whites and blacks were
piling brush wood around the stake.
The negro saw his doom and with g
scream of terror fell to the ground
in a faint. He was quickly revived and
dragged to the stake, while the crowd
stood silently by.
The frightened man was limp and
had to be held up while the chains
We're fastened around his neck and
body. When all was ready the cry
was given and the crowd fell back.
A match was applied to the pile and
with oil to feed upon the tiny fame
burst into a roaring fire. The negro
again pleaded for mercy in the most
affecting tones and prayed to God
that those around him might perish.
He then called upon his Maker for
forgiveness and as the flames leaped
up and encircled his neck an unearth-
ly shrek was heard and the mans
eyes had almost bulged out of their
sockets. By this time the fire had
gained such Roadway that nothing
could be seen except a wriggling mo-
ton in the center of the fire. A death
ly stencil followed and in a few min,
utes the flames had sufficiently sub.
sided to see that Penningto's head had
fallen forward and hung limp over the
iron chain. The body was quickly
consumed and all of Pennington that
remained was a pile of ashes. The
crowd then quietly dispersed.
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