The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-29
NEGRO BURNED AT STAKE
CORINEH, MISS, THE SCENE OF
 SHOCKING PUNISHMENT.

Victim Confessed to Murder of Mrs.
 Whitfield, Wife of a Well Known
 Citizen, and said He Deserved to Die
 Husband and Brother of the Dead
 Woman Apply the Torches.
 Corinth, Miss, Sept 2S.-Writhing in the flames of fagots piled high by hun dreds of citizens Tom Clark, alias Will Gibson, negro, was burned at the stake here at a late hour to-day. Clark had confessed to one of the most atro- cious assaults and murders in the his tory of the Mississippi and said he de- served his awful fate. On August 19 last Mrs. Carrie Whitfield, the wife of a well known citizen, was found dead in her home. Investigation showed that she had been assaulted. Her head was practically severed from her body. Corinth and the surrounding country was secured in an effort to apprehend the murderer, but diligent search failed to disclose his identity.
 On Monday last it became known that Tom Clark, a negro living near here, had had trouble with his wife and that the latter threatened to disclose the se- cret of a crime. Officers apprehended the woman and she told enough to war rant the belief that Clark had murdered Mrs. Whitfield. Clark was arrested yesterday and brought here The negro confessed to the murder and also told of other crimes that he had committed. He said that several year sago he killed two men on an excursion train in Mis-
 sissippi. He told of an outrage perpe- trated by himself on negro woman. After hearing the confession it was decided that the negro should be hang ed. Clark said he deserved death but
 asked that the execution be delayed un- til to-day so that he could have fare well interview with his mother and brother, who lived in Memphis. The request was granted and the two rela tives were telegraphed for but it was
 learned that they were in Mississippi. Meanwhile the news of the negros ar-
 rest and confession spread rapidly over
 the surrounding country and to-days incoming trains brought hundreds of
 people into the city to witness the lynching. The crowds became so great | that the middle of the main street of the town was ordered cleared and the | announcement was made that it was decided to burn Clark this afternoon. | Early in the afternoon surging crowds of people began to gather about the place selected for the enactment of the awful tragedy.
 At o'clock the prisoner, heavily | manacled, was taken from the jail by a posse Of armed men and followed by a
 large crowd was led to the east gate of
 the negro cemetery, which is situated in
 the western part of the city. Fagots
 and wood had been piled high around the stake and the negro was securely | fastened to the iron rod. Clark was | asked if he cared to make a statement. ! He again said that he deserved the ] fate prepared for him and asked that a l letter be delivered to his mother and 1 brother He appealed to his brother to
 raise his children properly, admonishing l them to beware of evil comoanions. | l pile. The husband and brother of 1 Clark's victim stepped forward and ap- ] piled torches and in 8 moment the 1 flames leaped upward, envelOping the
 trembling negro in smoke and fire. The l clothing of the doomed man was soon ignited and as the flames grew hotter
 his skin began to parch. The negro
 moaned piteously at this juncture and the agonized look on his face told of
 the torture he was undergoing. Final
 ly his head fell forward on his breast
 and in a few minutes he was dead. The l flames were fed by the crowd until the
 body was burned to crisp. The gath ering dispersed in an orderly manner
 and the town soon asumed its normally quiet condition.
 Coreau EmperOr Not nea0,