The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-26
NEGRO ASSAILANT
BURNED At STAKE
lnfuriated Delaware Mob Made
Short Work Of George
White.
JUSTICE WAS TOO SLOW
NEGRO Assaulted and Stabbed to Death
a Young Girl and the Court Put OFF
the Brute's Trial Until Sep
timber Term Of Court.
wilmington.

northern mob. led by a Virginian.
fburned q negro at the stake yesterday,
within a few miles OF Mason N Dix
on's line. The victim was George f.
White, a negro taken from the work
house, who was accused Of having fe-5
%loniously assaulted inc stabbedtodeath.
Miss Helen S. Bishop. the T-eyar-old
daughter of the Rev. e. A. Bishop.
The crime was committed last Monday
| afternoon, and ever since then there
hos been talk of lynchtng.
An effort vas made Tuesday night
to get White, but it failed. Tonight a
mob that was estimated at 5000 men
and boys gathered in the neighborhood
of Prices Corners, four miles from
here. They came from everywhere, in.
Bcluding wilmington n h small
towns to the south of Prices Corner.
The police Of Wilmington and the
constables tried to dispense the grow
Ing crowd, but without avail. 1t was
| evident that hundreds came from mere
curiosity, but nee in the mo they be-
came int1amed with the spirit that per-
vaded the throng and then actively
Joined it. The real leaders We're few in
numbers, but they did their work well.
1t was after 10 o'clock when the
march to the workhouse, a mile away,
was taken up. The chief warden Of
the workhouse n his guards, who
have been on almost constant duty
since h was landed in the
prison, had been warned of the COM
ing Of the mob. and prepared to defend
the man at all costs.
Battered Down Jail Doors.
Armed with pistols, shotguns and
other weapons the mob soon reached
the Jail. A battery of railroad ties
soon carried away the great OUTER
door of the workshop. What was go
Ing on inside the lookup was not known
to the mob, nor did 1t seem to care.
The second. third and fourth doors
were battered down by the forward
leaders in the attacking party amid the
yells and cheers of those who were
i pressing forward from h rear. Then
the would-be lynchers were moment
arily checked by a hail Of bullets from
the inside. "A great howl went up
from the leaders, but they We're
pressed forward by those in the rear
was a scramble to get out, but the
drawer mes in the attacking party.
stood their ground. In the fusillade
that followed our members fell, ALI
members of the mob. They We're
quickly carried to the rear and at
tended by those who We're not brave
enough to be at the front. Three Of
the wounded We're men, n the other
was a boy. Non of them in the o n
fusion could be identified except the
hoy, who is said to be Peter Smith,
aged II years.
not wish to slaughter the mo- in the
prison corridor, so he directed that the
fire hose be turned on the crowd.
This held the mob for a time, but
not for long. A general rush was made,
the guards were brushed aside. a
hunt was made for the negro.
There were many negroes confined
Y In the nriSnr 81 h1t with the aid Of a
man who knew White he was quickly
found. His cell door was battered open
and the covering and accused man,
begging for mercy, was dragged from
the cell and the prison.
Nothing but Burning.
When the crowd outside heard that
success had crowned the efforts Of the
lynchers a great cheer was set up. At
tenpts were made to shoot White on
the spot, but the leaders Of the crowd
would have nothing but his life at the
stake. Resistance IN the part Of the
negro was useless, u his hands were
tied behind him. Then the movement
to the place Of execution, just as
though 1t were a march to the gallows
in a prison, was taken up.
1t then became evident that a plan
of execution had been previously ar
ranged. With torches to lead the way
and with 1000 persons following the
negro he was led to the o and to
almost the very spot where the as
sault took place.
White was given a last chance to
speak. n he confessed to the murder
Of the girl. A stake had been arranged
by an advance guard. White was
quickly chained to the post and the dry
underbrush, soaked with oil, was ig-
nited, and the horrible execution was
on.
White, suffering intense agony, faint
ed. and his body hung limp. Shots
were fired into hts body, and the victim
Of the mob was soon dead.
Satisfied with its nights work, the.
greater number OF the lynchers imme-
diately LETT the neighborhood, many Of
them fearing arrest. However, a
large number Of persons loftered at the
scene, awaiting developments.
The failure Of the county court to
give White a speedy trial is In a great
measure responsible for the tragedy.
The citizens Of Wilmington and those
In the vicinity Of the scene of the crime
wanted an immediate trial, n At
torney General H. H. Ward laid the
matter before the court on Thursday
with that end in view. The court. how
ever, did not consider haste expedient.
the trial was set for the September
term Of court.