Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-24
HE CONFESSED.
Then the WiImington, DEL,
People Lynched the Negro.
Hard to Believe, Hard to Face What
Would You Have Done2
Some of the Details of Negro Whites
Summary Execution.

Wilmington, Del, June 23.-The OK
citement attending the gruesome trag-
edy enacted last night, outside the city
limits when George f. White, the negro,
who outraged and murdered 17-year-
old Helen S. Bishop, was burned at the
stake, has subsidized. Public sentiment
appears to deplore the resort to mob
violence, but the cOncenSuS of opinion
is that summary vengeance alone could
atone for the outrage. 1t is generally
believed that had the courts brought
the murderer to speedy trial last nights
tragedy would have been averted. The
judges who had postponed action upon
the case of the confessed assailant OF
Miss Bishop, today, explain their action
by stating that popular prejudice and
Indignation would have precluded the
possibility of fair trial.
1t is not known as yet what action
the state authorities will take. Gov
HUM says he will confer with Attorney
General H. Fl. Ward. The latter made
a brief statement tonight, in which he
said that the state will await the result
of the coroner's inquest and that every
effort would be eXerted to ascertain the
names of the leaders. Coroner McCor-
mick has not fixed the date for the in
quest.
Deputy Coroner Kilmer, who, today
visited Prices Corner, the scene of the
lynching, found little to view. All sem
blance of the human form in Whites
body had been obliterated by the aveng-
ing fire and the morbidly curious relic
hunters. A small portion of the trunk
and one or two charred bones were re-
covered and taken to the mOrgue. OF
the hundreds of persons who, today,
visited the spot where the funeral pyre
was lighted, scarcely one left without
something as memento.
One arrest was made, tonight. The
prisoners name was not divulged by
the police, but it is said he is charged
with having been party to the lynch
ing. 1t is said that state and city de-
tectives were in the crowd, last night
and recognized some of those who par
ticipated in the burning. Other arrests
it is believed, will follow.
Peter Smith, the 12-year-bld boy, who
was shot in the back, is not expected to
live. Another young man whose name
is unknown, was slightly injured. The
only other persons known to have been
hurt were a man who was kicked in the
abdomen by White, when the negro at
tempted to escape from his torturers
and another man who had his arm
burned.
Mrs. Bishop, mother of the murdered
girl, is in a state of extreme nervous
ness. White was put to- death within
a few hundred yards of the Bishop
home and the glare of the fire and
hoWls of the mob could be plainly seen
and heard at the house.
The arrangements for the execution
of White were complete. Bundles of
straw were secured from a nearby barn
and upon these were piled dry under
brush. French rails We're split and
added to the pyre which was thorough
ly soaked with kerosene. The negro
was then bound from shoulders to feet
with heavy rope and thrown upon the
blazing pile. Before the torch was APP
piled White confessed his guilt and
prayed fervently for mercy.
The name of the man taken into GUS
tody is said to be Arthur Corwell and
that he came from Baltimore. He is
james McComb, a wealthy retired cap
italist of Claymont, near here, called
on the police authorities. today, and
told them he would go bail for all per-
sons arrested in connection with the
lynching. When he heard of tonighus
arrest he again called at the police sta
ton and offered to go bail for the pris-
oner, but this the authorities would not
allow.
Attorney General Ward said, tonight,
that he expected more arrests, that
there were ~ leaders in the mob and
that they would be arrested as soon as
the police could locate them
The Rev. E. A. Bishop. father of the
murdered girl in an interview. tonight.
deplored the mob law which had termi-
mated the life of his daughters assail-
ant. He said however, that it was the
of the citizens that had
speedy trial been promised the tragedy
would have been avoided. He had been
aware for several days, he said, of the
purpose of the citizens and had so noti-
fed the police of Wilmington and War
den Meserve of the Newcastle county
Jail.