The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-03
NEGRO F|END BRURNED AT The STAKE
At Corinth, Miss, After Confessing to the Brutal
Murder of Mrs. Whitfield.
Pleadings and Persuasions of the Citizens to Hang the Negro
Ignored by the Mob--Five Thousand People Witness the
Lynching--List of Tom CIarks Tany Crimes.

Corinth, Miss, Sept. 28.-Under the
bright blue vault of the heavens and
In the soft, warm summer sunshine,
and in an amphitheater as natural as
though planned by an architect, Mis-
sissippi vengeance took the place of
Mississippi justice this afternoon, and
William Gibson, the negro who con-
fessed to the crime of criminally as
saulting and numbering Mrs. Minnie
Whitfienld on Friday afternoon, Au-
gust 29, at Corinth, Miss, was burned
at the stake.
No one was prepared for what the
day had in store for them, and the
suddenness of the awful vengeance
handed out to Will Gibson, the negro
fiend, was all the more terrible to
those who witnessed it.
The people Of Corinth themselves
learned at a late hour on Saturday
night that Gibson had been captured
and had confessed to being the brute
who assaulted and killed Mrs. Min
ME Whitfield of one of the most highly
respected families of this section.
Gibson was captured about Z o'clock
in the evening, but 1t was not until
about IL o'clock that he confessed to
the crime for which he had been ar
rested.
During the morning the rumor be-
came current that a new confession
had been made by the prisoner, in
which he finally admitted that he had
criminally assaulted Mrs. Whitfield,
and that 1t vas done before the wo-
man was dead. This rumor was con
frmed by those who had watched Glib
son during the early morning hours,
and as soon as this was known the in
dignation of the gathering crowds
seemed to be increased a hundred
fold.
Burning Was Decided On.
1t was at this time the first report
OF a burning was spread about the
city. On all hands it was passed from
mouth to mouth that the hanging
which had been planned would be
changed to a burning at the stake, and
that crowds were hauling boxes and
wood to the scene of the affair. which
was planned to take place about half
a mile outside of the city.
Move on the Jail.
Promptly at 8 o'clock the organized
body of citiz2ns moved on the Jail,
coming up from the rear along the
street. A large cotton g contain
ing two large wooden boxes drove up
alongside of the Jail, while Immediate
ly following it were about twenty-five
men on horseback, all armed. Fol
lowing these came twenty men, march
ing in column of tours, armed with
s%hotguns. The entire procession
marched up to the front of the Jail,
and in a very orderly manner, no loud
shouting or unnecessary noise being
made about the affair.
The negro was placed on the wagon
and the procession was taken up to
the scene of the burning. Several
thousand people had assembled about
the Jail during the early part of the
afternoon, intent on getting the first
view of the prisoner, and as soon as
they caught a glimpse of him they
Immediately fell into line. The
crowd surged all around the wagon
carrying the condemned man, extend
ing about a quarter of a mile in front
and about half a mile in the real of
the wagon. In this way they moved
away from the town.
At Scene of Bnrning.
At the scene of the burning the pict-
ure would be hard to describe. The
land was arranged naturally in the
form of an immense amphitheater, the
hills rising in a sort of semi-circle
around a little knoll, on which was
located the gallows on which the ne
gro brute was to be bound. The scat
fold was built about twelve feet above
the ground, affording every one pres
ent an excellent view Of all the pro-
ceedings.
AS the crowd gathered before the
negro arrived, Mayor Henry mounted
the scaffold and calling for quiet in
the crowd, he made a short address.
He said:
about four weeks ago when Mrs.
Whitfield was murdered in such a
dastardly manner, l promised the peo-
pie of Corinth that when the criminal
was discovered and proven the city
officials would not interfere with the
just melting out of the punishment
which he fully deserves. Last night
he was captured, and from his own
confession there is no doubt of his
guilt, and the people are now assem-
bled here to, deal out his punishment.
"a committee was appointed to look
after the finding of the guilty man,
and while that committee has worked
long and faithfully, it met with little
success. They have acted as they
thought best at all times and have
tried to do their duty. I now ask
you to act quietly and in good order"
Prisoner Sees the Scaffold.
AS Mayor Henry finished speaking
the wagon with the prisoner drove up
to the front of the scaffold, and again
the assembled crowds broke out in
hoarse yells. The very sight of the
negro seemed to infame their pas
sions against him. AS the wagon
drove down through the crowd women
were heard to remark on what d cruel
looking brute he was and how fierce
he looked.
AS the wagon drove up opposite the
gallows, Hinton Zachary sprang out
and mounted the pile. He was fol
lowed by Frank Burnett, and then the