Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-05-29
TORTURED TO DEATH
Awful Fate Of a Negro Who As
saulted a White Woman.
The VICTIM CHAINED 10 A STAKE.
His Eyes Burned Out and Red Hot Tim.
bers Passed Over His Body, the Mob
Clamorins for Slow and
Painful Death.

Au"V "AISH Adu UccA Ill progress
since last Saturday ended yesterday
in the burning at the stake of Dud-
ley Morgan, colored, who assaulted
Mrs. Mckee, wife of Texas & Pa
cifc section foreman at Lansing,
Tex. When it was learned that the
negro had been captured and was
being taken to Lansing the excite
ment of the people knew no bounds.
BY II o'clock in the morning great
crowds had gathered at the Lansing
switch and arrangements were made
to burn the negro. just before II
o'clock the train bearing the prisoner
and his captors arrived in Marshall
and was met by great crowd of
people. Many boarded the train at
Hallville and when it arrived at Lam
sing every available place on it was
occupied. Waiting at Lansing was
another large crowd from Longview
and the surrounding country.
The negro was not taken from the
train on the side where the crowd
was, and when the engineer started
to pull out several Winchesters were
leyeled at him and others of the train
crew. They were told if they moved
the train an inch they would all be
killed. The prisoner was identified
by Mrs. Mckee and several negroes
who worked on the section with Nor
gan. Mrs. Mckee said they had the
right man and the negro was es-
corted by about 200 men, armed with
Winchesters, to the place of execu-
ton. As he was chained to the stake
he made statement in which he i'm
plicated another negro named Frank
lin Heard, saying Heard was to get
part Of the money which was to be
stolen.
Morgan confessed to having com
mitted the crime and after he had
been securely chained to the stake or
rail, with his hands and legs free,
the members of the mob began to
take railroad ties from fire already
started and burned out his eyes.
They then held the red-hot and
burning timbers to his neck and
after burning his clothes off, to other
parts of his body. The negro
screamed in agony. He was tor
tured in slow and painful manner,
with the crowd clamoring for slow
death. The negro writing and
grooming, begged piteously to be
shot Mrs. Mckee was brought to
the scene in carriage, accompanied
by four other women, and an effort
was made to get the carriage close
for her to see the negro
The crowd was SO dense, however,
that this was impossible.
Persons held each other on their
taking turns about look
ng at the awful sight. The negro's
1ead finally dropped and the ties
we're piled around and over him. In
lalf an hour only the trunk of his
body remained. As soon as the heat
would permit the crowd with long
ticks began a grewsome search for
'elics. Parts of his skull and body
we're gathered up by some and car
led away. As the fire died down
he crowd took the two men who
irst caught the negro and held them !
'yer their heads, while they held /
heir Winchesters in their hands and [
we're photographed. From the time .
he first fire was applied to the ne
'ro's body until the dying embers I
lone were left the crowd yelled I
nd cheered for the men who had
hased the negro r
Section Foreman Mckee, husband I
I the woman assaulted, applied the I
,atch to the faggots. Many women i
'ere present from the surrounding
ountry, but owing to the great a
rush they had very little opportu- {
ity to see the negro until the heat \
breed the crowd to widen the cir D
e and the flames leaped upon him. p
THE cONEEccynN m CArru