The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-24
GRUESOME RELICS
WE'RE SOUGHT BY CURIOUS
CROWDS OF WILMINGTON.
WHITES BODY INCINERATED
AND IT WAS NOT EASY TO FIND
MEMENTOES.


Thought That There Will Be Ar
rests and Prosecutions of the
Iynchers-Great Crowds Went in
"a DrizzIinG Rain to the Scene Of
the Burning-AIsO Visited the
WorIShOuse-White's Confession.
Wilmington, Del, June 23.-The ex-
ritement attending the gruesome trag-
edy enacted last night outside the city
limits. where George F. White, the ne
gro ravisher and murderer of 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
brutal outrage upon the life and honor
of the young girl. 1t is generally be-
lieved that had the courts brought the
murderer to speedy trial last nights
tragedy would have been averted.
1t is not known as yet what action
the state authorities will take. Gov.
Hum says he will confer with Attor-
ney General H. II. 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 Mccormick has not fixed the
date for the inquest.
Deputy Coroner Killmer who to-day
visited Prices Corner, the scene of the
lynching, found little to view. All sem
dances of the human form in Whites
body had been obliterated by the
avenging fire, and the morbidly curious
relic hunters. A small portion of the
trunk and one or two charred bones
were recovered and taken to the
Morgue. Of the hundreds of persons
who to-day visited the spot where the
funeral pyre was lighted scarcely one
left without some CHASTITY memento.
One man carried away a foot that had
not been consumed. Fragments of
clothing, pieces Of wood, cinders and
any article that bore mute testimony
of the Inob's work were eagerly sought.
one Man Arrested.
One arrest was made tonight by
State Detective Francis. The prison.
er's name was not divulged by the po-
lice but it is said he is charged with
having been a party to the lynching.
The police of this city have little to
say regarding the affair. 1t is said that
the state and city detectives were in
the crowd last night and recognized
some of those who participated in the
burning. Other arrests, it is believed,
will follow.
Boy May Die of Wound.
During the show of resistance made
by the police and Jail officials when the
mob attacked the Newcastle county
work house, Peter Smith, 12-year-
old boy, was shot in the back. The
bullet which struck him evidently
came from a pistol in the crowd, as it
is claimed by the prison warden that
his guards fired oyer the heads of the
lynchers. Smiths condition is criti-
CAL and he is not expected to live. An
other young man. whose name is I'M
known, was slightly injured.
Mrs. Bishop, mother of the murdered
girl, is in 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
bowls of the mob could be plainly seen
and heard at the house.
The natural and interesting
question to-day is whether the
authorities will take action
looking toward the arrest and
punishment of those who were prom
inent in the lynching of George White
early this morning.
That many of them are known can
not be doubted, for they were seen by
the thousands who witnessed the affair.
1t is also known that the arrange
ments for the lynching were talked OF
above board and that men were invited
TO participate and given notice OF
when and where to assemble. 1t was
this fact that gave publicity to the
lynching, for the news that it was %
occur last night was circulated ABOUT
Wilmington yesterday with the result
that the thousands who went out last
night did so with the knowledge that
the affair would come off according TO
arrangements.
II is a fact that public sentiment SO
generally approves the lynching that
il would be hard to secure the conVlc-
ton of a IYncher. even if arrests are
made, which seems doubtful.
During the day thousands Of persons
went to the scene of the lynchins'
many of them intent upon securing
CHASTITY relics. In this, however they
met with little success, as the burning
had been so effectual as 10 destroy al
most every vestige OF the victims
body. The only remains were pieces
Of his bones.
Through DrizkIing Rain
In order to reach the scene many OF
these people walked three miles from
Wilmington IN a drizzling rain ana
those who rode on the trolley cars hau
10 walk a mile before they reached the
spot. But nothing could abate their
ardor. and All day there was con
slant stream OF people travelling the
road.
judge 0rubb ~ me County court to-
Gay made q public statement, ~ wAlen
tconpnued on Fnb Pass)