Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-06-05
NEGRO BRUTE BURNED FOR CRIME.
Burned to Death by a Mob OF Florida Citizens
for Numbering a Woman.

~ q
Barlow, Fla, May 30.-Frcd. Rochelle
tho thirty-yoar-old negro, who yosterdln,
criminally assaulted and thon brutallS
murdered Mrs. Roma Taggart, a we'll
known and highly respected lady ofthi,
place, was burned at tho stake Ioro ycs
tcrday afternoon by n mob of cnragot
citizens, who havo boon on his trail owe,
since tho crimo was committed.
Tho crimo for which Rochelle was
burned was ono of tho most awful in the
history Of this State.
At ton o'clock Tuesday morning Mrs
Iaggart, who was born and raised in
this section, and who has always boon
respected and has borno n good rcputa.
tion, went fishing in small row boat
which sho had tied to tho city bridge
ovor Place creek. A fow minutes before
noon, Mrs. Taggart, on her way homo
tied tho boat to tho bridge. A negro
man was fishing from tho bridge at the
time After making the boat fast to the
bridge, Mrs. Taggart started to ller homo
and had only proceeded q few steps
through tho swamp whom sho was me,
by Rochelle, who had bcon, it is said
hiding in tho swamp.
Tho negro brute seized hcr hand, but
sho broke away from him and Attempted
to run. He again seized her, oycrpow.
orcd hcr and then assaulted her. After
committing tho crime, ho hold hor pros.
trato on tho ground with his knees and
hands and drew pocket knife from his
pocket, with which ho cut her throat,
killing, hcr instantly. Tho brute then
walked to tho negro who was fishing on
tho bridge and asked him what he should
Go with tho body. Tho negro told him
to leave it whore it was, but Rochelle
dragged it further back into the swamp
and hid it. IIo then escaped into tho
interior of the swamp. rho man who
had been fishing from tho bridge was too
frightened to olfcr to attempt to stop
tho negro, and when Rochelle had fled
he spread tho alarm.
In loss than half an hour we'll direotod
posses wcro in pursuit Of tho negro and
bloodhounds wore put on his track. Up
to yesterday morning no trace of tho
negro had been found. Tho people. who
had sworn not to rest until his body was
incincratod, had grown moro desperate
in their attempt to capture him.
About noon man informed tho posse
that tho negro had been apprehcndcd by
two othor negroes throo miles south Of
Barlow
The mob Immediately attempted to
intercept him, but they managed to de-
liver tho prisoner to tho Shcriif of Polk
county.
LII less than ten minutes after ho had
bcon delivered to tho oil cers ho had
been taken away from them by tho mob
and was being dragged to tho bridge,
where the brutal crime had boon com
mittod. Screams of mercy and prayers
fell from the terror. stricken mans lips.
but tho mob, orderly and composed. paid
little attention to them.
When the bridge was reached ho was
carried into tho swamp, to tho exact
sconc Of his crime. BY common consent
he was to DO burned. In fact, no ropos
or anything else had been prepared for
his hanging. Burning was tho only thing
which tho cnragcd mon were willing to
mcto ont to tho assassin.
barrel was procured and on tho
exact spot whore tho woman had boon
assaulted and murdered, ho was placed
on tho barrel and chained to stake.
The crowd was growing. All business
in Barlow had been suspended.
Chained to tho stake tho cries of tho
negro were rcdoubled. lIc pleaded with
God and man for lifo. But tho mob.
orderly and silont, paid little attention
to his wailings. There were no jcors, no
noiso The only thing which broke tho
silcnco were tho means Of the con-
domnod man.
1t was now O'Clock and tho mob was
becoming impatient. Cans containing
Kerosene were passed into tho conter of
tho crowd, and ono of tho leaders stopped
forward aud began pouring tho oil upon
the negro.
Then n match was applied. In an in
slant tho negro was ablazo. Tho flames
rOso and roarcd. 1t was tho roaring of
mon, who were avcnging q
crmo against their mothers and sweet
hearts. There was no pity in them.
In tho fast rising flames tho body of
the negro could bo Sccn wrthing with
pain. 1t was soon hidden from Wow in
tho vast circle of flames which sur
it. Then, as tho wood and oil
burned out, tho burning body could bo
seen once more; but tho groans had
ceased and only tho terrible contortons
of tho nogro's body showed that ho was
still suffering for his crime. For fully
fifteen minutes tho body burned, and in
half an hour from tho timo tho match
was applied only the charrcd bones and
ashes oi tho negro could bo scon.
Tho crowd dispersed as orderly as it
had collected. At half-past eight last
night tho entire city was quiet, but Ittlo
knots of mon woro gathered here and
there, Whispering and nodding thoir
heads.