Willmar tribune., 1903-06-27
MOB ! ! Burns /! .A|. MURDERER
Awful Punishment Is Dealt Out t,
Confessed Slayer of a Girl
in Delaware.
the AUTHORITIES ARE oVERPoWERED
victim II Taken from Jail by Force
11ed to Stake and Reduced t.
Ashes-Guards Attempt to Protect
Fr1soner and q Little Boy In Fa.
tally Injured.

Ashes-Guards Attempt to Protect
Prisoner and q Little Boy In Fa.
tally Injured.
Wilmington, Del, June 24.-An was
quiet in this community Tuesday fol
lowing the horrible lynching OF
george White, Helen Bishops con.
1essed slayer, at an early hour il
the, morning. Of the mob of nearly
5000 that overpowered the author.
tiles, stormed the Newcastle county
workhouse and dragged from cell
the trembling wretch and burned
him at the stake, the identity of only
one is publicly known. That person
is little Peter Smith. IL years old
who fell when the workhouse guards
fired volley into the ranks of the
attacking mob. The lad was struck
by bullet which entered his back
and is thought to have penetrated
his kidneys. At the Homeopathic hos.
pltal, where the injured boy was
taken, the physicians stated at nine
o'clock Tuesday morning that he is
in a serious condition. After the
mob had completed it's awful work
of vengeance the body of the negro
raVisher and murderer was left
chained to the stake with the fire
burning all around it and the mem.
bers of the lynching party went
home. A rain which began falling
later extinguished the fire and at
daylight the charred body still hung
limp in plain sight of passersby.
Public sentiment here, SO far as
expressed, appears to approve the
lynching of White and it is not be.
ieved there will be any arrests.
Victim Confesses Guilt.
Whites confession, made just be,
fore the torch was applied to the
pile of oil-soaked bushes around him,
was an admission of everything and
more than had been charged against
him. The negro's confession rem
dered the already incensed crowd
even more desperate and some want
ed to tear him limb from limb before
they reached the scene of his execu-
tion. The negro begged piteously not
to be burned, but no mercy was
shown the culprit, and although his
sufferings were terrible White re-
mained conscious and rational to the
last.
When the negro had ceased to show
signs of life the body was placed on
its back and fuel was piled up on it
and a roaring fire was soon consum-
ing it. 1t was about two o'clock
when the crowd began to disperse.
At noon Tuesday Deputy Coroner
Killmer went to the scene of the
lynching for the purpose of securing
the remains of the negro in order to
60 through the legal form of holding
an inquest, but according to the
story of those who left the place an
hour previous there was little posi-
bility of his finding anything sub
stantial, as the relic hunters had
made off with the pieces of bones
that were left.
While at times during the night
there were at least 5000 people
around the workhouse the men who
actually took part in the lynching
did not number over 500. The leader
was a man who said his name was
ginia. His face was familiar to most
of the people and it is believed he is
a resident of Wilmington, although
some say he had been imported for
the purpose of leading the mob.
Lynch1ng All Arranged.
The lynching is believed to have
been the result of plot which was
concocted several days ago and was
to have been put into execution Sat-
urday night, but on that occasion
there was misunderstanding and
the attempt failed. Early Monday
morning word was passed around
that the attack was to be made on
the prison at ten o'clock at night and
that the men who were to particle
pate in it were to meet at Prices
Corner, half an hour before that
time. The report gained wide circu-
lation, but most people who were
not actually concerned in the plot
were of the opinion that the plan
would not be carried out. AS a re-
suit of the reports, however, people
docked toward the workhouse early
in the evening, but the majority OF
these were there out of curiosity, al
though after they reached the prison
many joined the attacking party.
The police department was advised
. during the day of the contemplated
attack and 30 policemen in charge Of
Chief Black and Capts. Evans and
Kane went to the workhouse. This
was at eight o'clock Monday night.
/ There were several thousand persons
at the prison at the time and the Of
ficers were powerless against such
/. large. numbers, SO. they entered the
building to assist the guards in an
effort. to protect the prisoner. Dur
I ing one of the rushes made by the
crowd several shots were exchanged
B and Peter Smith. a bOv of IL wears.