The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-23
BURNED AT STAKE
NEGRO PAID THE PENALTY FOR
AN AWFUL CRIME.
BY A MOB IN DELAWARE
HE WAS TAKEN AFTER A FIERCE
FIGHT AND BURNED.

Gsathered-Ihey tOuSht Win the
Guards, Several Men Being
MISUNDERSTANDING Their Victim,
They Took Him to the Scene of
His Assault and Murder-There
He Died in Agony.
Wilmington, Del, June ga North
ern mob. led by a Virginian, burned a
negro at the stake tonight within a
few miles of Mason and Dixon's Line.
The victom was George F. White, a
negro just out of the work house, who
was accused of having feloniously as
saulted and stabbed to death Miss Hell
en- S. Bishop, the 17-year-old daugh-
ter of the Rev. DIR. E. A. Bishop. The
crime was committed last Monday aft
ernoor, and ever since then there have
been mutterings of lynching the man.
An effort was made last night to get
White, but it failed. Tonight, how
ever, as a result of the laws slow
ness and much agitation on the part of
those who cried for vengeance, a mob
that was estimated at 1900 men and
boys gathered in the neighborhood of
Prices Corner four miles from here.
They came from many places, including
Wilmington, and the small towns to
the South of Prices Corner.
Last nights lack of a leader was
supplied by Virginian, whose identity,
in the confusion and excitement, could
not be learned.
The police of Wilmington and the
constables tried to disperse the growing
crowd, but without avail 1t was evil
dent that hundreds came from mere
curiosity, but once in the mob they be-
came inhamed with the spirit pervad-
ing the throng and actively Joined it.
Leaders Did the work Well
The real leaders were few in num-
bers, but they did their work well. 1t
was after 10 o'clock when the march to
the work house, mile away, was
taken up. The chief warden of the
work house and his guards. who have
been on almost constant duty since
the negro was landed in the prison, had
been warned of the coming of the mob
and prepared to defend the man at
IN costs.
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 work house.
What was going on inside the lock-
UP was not known to the mob, nor did
it seem to care. The second, third,
and fourth doors were battered down
by the forward leaders in the attack
ing party amid yells and cheers Of
those who were pressing forward from
the rear. Then the would-be lynchers
were momentarily halted by a hail Of
bullets from the inside. A great howl
went up from the leaders, but they
were pressed forward by those in the
rear.
They stood Their Ground.
More shots were fired and there, was
a scramble to get out, but the Drawer
ones in the attacking party stood their
ground. In the fusilade that followed
four persons fell, all members of the
mob. They were quickly carried to
the rear and attended by those VINO
were not brave enough to be at the
front. Three of the wounded were
men and the other was boy. None
of them, in the confusion, could be
identified, except the boy who is said
to be Peter Smith. aged II years.
1t was evident that the warden did
not wish to slaughter the mob in the
prison corridor, so he directed that the
fire hose be turned on the crowd. This
also held the mob for time, but not
for long. A general rush was made,
the guards were brushed aside and a
man hunt in the Jail was had for the
negro.
There are many negroes confined in
the prison, but with the aid of man
who knew White he was quickly
found. The cell doors were quickly bat
tered down, and the covering man,
begging for mercy, was dragged from
the cell and the prison.
When the crowd outside heard that
success had crowned the efforts of the
iynchers, a great cheer was sent up.
Attempts were made to shoot White
on the spot. but the leaders of the
crowd would have nothing but his lie
at the stake. Resistance on the part
of the negro was useless and his hands
were tied behind him. Then the march
to the place of execution, just as
though it were march to the gailows
in prison. was taken up.
Had Planned the burning
1t then became evident that plan
of execution had been previously ar
ranged, but who the planners were Is
not known at this writing. WITH
torches to lead the way and with 1000
persons following the negro. he was led
to the road and TO almost the very
scot where the assault took place.
White was given chance 10 speak ana
he confessed 10 the murder Of the girl
A stake had been arranged by en-
advance guard. White WAS quickly
chained 20 the post. and the dry under
brush. soaked with OIL was igpitea,
end the horrible eNeeution WAS on.
White. suffering intense agony, faint
I'd and his body hung ling. shots were
fired into his body and me victim o.
Che mob was soon dead
ssuf1e1 sith - nights WORK, the
fcontlnusd 90 Fifth PaseJ