The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-10-03
AWFUL FATE OF
A BLACK BRUTE,
Tom Clark, Alias Will Gibson, Burned
by Citizens of Corinth, Miss.

Tom Clark, Alias Will Gibson, Burned
by Citizens of Corinth, Miss.
Corinth, Miss, Sept, %. With
ing in the flames of faggots piled
high by hundreds of citizens Tom
Clark, alias Will Gibson, young
negro, was burned at the stake
here at q late hour to day. Clark
had confessed to one of the most
atrocious assaults and murders in
the history of North Mississippi
and said that he deserved his awful
fate.
On August 10 last Mrs. Carey
Whitfield, the wife of we'll known
citizen, was found dead in her
home. Investigation showed that
the lady had been assaulted and
her head was practically severed
from her body, razor having
been used in the bloody work.
Both Whitfield and his wife were
related to several of the most
prominent families in the South,
and the indignation of the people
knew no bounds. Corinth and the
surrounding country was secured
in an effort to apprehend the muir
derer, but diligent search failed to
disclose his identity.
WIFE BETRAYED HIM.
Two detectives from Chicago
were employed but their efforts
were fruitless. Several suspects
were arrested, but in each case an
aIibi was proven. A committee OF
twelve citizens were named to con
tinue the search for the murderer
and these men have been very &C
tive in their work. On Monday
last it became known that Tom
Clark, a negro living near here,
had had trouble with his wife and
the latter threatened to disclose
the secret of q crime. Officers APP
pretended the woman and she told
enough to warrant the belief that
Clark had murdered Mrs. Whit
field. Clark was arrested and on
yesterday was brought before the
committee of twelve in Corinth.
The negro finally confessed to the
murder and also told of other
crimes he had committed. He
said that several years ago he
killed two men on an excursion
train in Mississippi. He told of
ali outrage perpetrated by himself
upon negro woman and also of
the theft of 81, 800 from a physi-
clan at French Camp, Miss. Clark
said he had never been suspected
of having committed any of these
crimes and had covered up his
tracks in q way to deceive the Off
GERS of the law.
REPRIEVE GRANTED.
Alter hearing the confession the
committee decided that the negro
should be hanged from a telegraph
pole in the street. Clark said he
deserved death, but asked that the
execution be delayed until to- day
so that he could have a farewell in
terview with his brother and moth
er, who lived in Memphis. This
request was granted and the two
relatives were telegraphed for,
but it was learned that they were
in Mississippi.
Meanwhile the news of the ne
gro's arrest and confession spread
rapidly over the surrounding coun-
try and to-day's incoming trains
brought hundreds of people into
the city to witness the execution.
The crowds became so great that
at midday the main street of the
town was ordered cleared and the
announcement was made that it
had been decided to burn Clark at
$50 o'clock in the afternoon. This
statement caused much excitement
and surging crowds of people be-
gan to gather about the place Sc
lected for the enactment of the avn
full tragedy.
LED TO THE STAKE.
Ats o'clock the prisoner, heavi-
Iy manacIed, was taken from the