Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-03-07
A HORRIBLE FATE.
Lynchlng and Burning OF n Negro In
Indiana.


inert swift and terrrole was me:ed OF:
TO George Ward, the negro who muir
dered Miss Ida Finkelste!n. the school
teacher. by shooting her with a shot
gun ard cutting her threat. 4 few
hours after his arrest an angry mob
battered down the doors OF the jail.
dragged the prisoner to the Waba h
| bridge, several squares away. aal
hanged him to the bridge draw. Not
| content with the hanging. the crowd
cut the corpse down, an laying il on
s2nd bar under the bridge kindled Il
| fire and cremated the remains. 1t
was the first lyIc1iCg tina: Terre
Haute ever experienced.
Ward was arrested at 10 O'Clock at
tn" car works, where he was employed
as a laborer, and after being fullv
identified by two citizens, made a c2A-
feSsiOn. His only excuse for the muir
der was that Miss Finktlstein call d
him "a dirty niger" and slapped him
in the face. Sheriff Easing commun.-
Gated with Governor Dur5in but tn"
mob accomplished its work before :hs
militia could be ordered out. The Gov
ernor had wired Captain Thomas. OF
Company B, to place his company.
fully armed, in readiness FOR duty.
At noon the crowd outside the jail.
numbering several hundred. incluI!ng
men, women and boys, battered down
the iron doors, but were driven back
by Jailer Lawrence ODOnuell. WAC
fired over the heaCs Of the nab. Dep
uty Sheriffs Cooper, HosSick and Lee
Forge were Struck by scattering shoI
and slightly injured. bat NOBODY in the
crowd was hurt. A detail OF poll 3
yainly tried to dispense The crowd.
At 1890 O'Clock another crowd ba
tered down the outer doors of the jail,
secured possession Of the keys and en-
tered the cell room. The side door was
opened for the rest of the crowd. The
cell was quickly opened and Ward was
dragged forth. He fought with Gesper-
alton and with ferocity. He was drag
ged out to the street, sill fighting with
all his strength, burt a blow from
heavy hammer felcd him to the
ground.
A Moose was quickly adjusted to his
neck and the mob started with its vic
tim toward the Wabash bridge. The
feeble resistance made by ii wretch
ed creature after that blow with the
hammer was soon Quieted by the sa.
age blows OF the mob. Face down
ward, he was dragged through the
street to Sc bridge and across he
roug pla2king of the driveway to the
drawbridge. Many are Of the opinion
that the fellow was dead before the
scene of the hanging was reached.
However, the rope was thrown over
one Of the upper beams and the body
drawn up.
Then burning at the stake was
agreed on unanimously and a fire was
quickly kindled on the BANK OF the
river just south Of the wcSt end of the
bridge, and into the fire the body,
bearing no sign of life, wasthr Jwn, and
faggots were piled upon it. The stake
was omitted. The body was in hor,-
zontal position, the feet protruding at
one end and the head at the other. A
can of turpentine was poured on the
eager flames After that combustible
oils seemed to flow spontaneously to-
ward the fire and the flames leapei
high while the body OF the ncgro was
rapidly consumed. None of the mob
disguise. When the body
was taken down to be carried tp the
fire the bridge west Of the draw was
barricaded but the east bank of the
river and the bridge on the city side
of the draw was crowded with thou
sands of men, women and children.
gazing at the awful spectacle. With
grim determination the mob fed the
flames and watched the flesh shriyel to
cinders and the bones crumble and
burn.
AS the bones began to crumble and
tall apart fragments were taken from
he fire and carr ed away. A. 3 o'clock
here was nothing left Of the body ex
eept a small section CT the trunk and
he back Of the head. Busy hanls
Kept the burning faggots piled upon
ne roasting segment. Women came TO
he scene by scores. At about 2:39
o'clock the barricade was removed AMI
he crowd surrounded the fire.