The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-06-25
WHITE EYKCEED
BY ANGRY MOB
Murderer of Miss Bishop Burned
at the Stake.
HE CONFESSED THE CRIME

HE CONFESSED THE CRIME
Mob OF Several Thousand Stormed
WILMINGTON, DEL. Workhouse, and
Securing White. Took Him to Scene
OF Crime and Burned Him-Pr'son
Guards Fired on Crowd, Woundins
Four.
Wilmington. Del, June pa north
ern mob led by a Virginian. burned
4 negro at the stake within Few
miles Of Mason and DiXon's line
The victim was George f White. a
negro Just out OF the workhouse VINO
was accused of having feloniously as
saulted and stabbed to death MISS
Helen s. Bishop. the l7-yoar-old daneh-
ter of the Rev Dr. L A. Bishop me
crime was committed last Monday al
ternoon, and ever since then there
have been mutterings OF lynchins the
man.
An effort was made Sunday nieht
10 get White. but it failed. Last night.
however. 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 1000 men
and boys gathered in the neighbor-
hood OF Prices Corner. four miles from
here. They came from everywhere.
including Wilmington and the small
towns TO the south OF the Prices Cor
ner.
Sunday nights lack of leader was
supplied by a Virginian. whose rae IL
/ titv. in the confusion and excitement.
could not be learned The police ~
Wilmington and the constables tried
20 disperse the growing crowd. bHt
without avail. II was evident that
hundreds came from mere curiosity
hut once in the mob they became in
{ famed with the spirit pcrvadins the
throng and then actively joined II.
The real leaders were few in numbers,
but they did their work well. II was
after 10 o'clock when the march 10
/ the workhouse. a mile away. was
taken IN. The chief warden OF the
workhouse 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 all costs
Armed with pistols shotguns and
other weapons. the mob soon reached
the Jail \ battery Of railroad ties
soon carried away the great outer
door Of the workhouse What was
going on inside the lookup was not
known to the mob. nor did II seem to
care. The second. third and fourth
doors were battered down by the for
ward leaders in the attacking party
amid the 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. 4 great
howl went up from the leaders. but
they were pressed forward by those
in the rear More shooting was heard
and there was a scramble to get out.
but the Drawer ones IN the attacking
party stood their ground. In the fu-
silade that followed four persons fell,
all members of the mob. They were
quickly carried to the rear and at
tended by those who were not brave
enough to be IN the front. Three OF
the wouded were men and the other
a boy None OF them In the confu-
sion. could be identified except the
boy. who is said to be Peter Smith,
aged II years.
II was evident that the warden did
not wish to slaughter the mob In the
prison corridor, 20 he directed that
the fire hose be turned on the crowd.
This also held the mob for a time.
but not for long A general rush was
made. the guards were brushed aside.
and a man hunt Of the jail was made
for the negro.
Their are many negroes H. the prison.
but with the aid of a man who knew
White he was quickly found His cell
door was battered open. and the cow
erlng. accused 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 lynchers a great cheer was set
up. Attempts were made TO shoot
White on the spot. but the leaders OF
the crowd would have nothing but his
life AT the stake Resistance on the
part OF the negro was useless. but his
hands were tied behind him. Then the
march 10 the place OF execution. Just
as though IT were march TO the gal
lows in a prison. was taken up
II then became evident that a plan
of execution had been previously ar
ranged. but who the planners were
,s not known. With torches 10 lead
the way and 1000 persons following.
the negro was led to the road and to
almost the very spot where the as
sault took place. White was given
a last chance to speak, and he con
Tossed to the murder OF the girl. A
stake had been arranged by an an
vance guard. White was quickly chain.
cd TO the post, and the dry underbush.
soaked with oil. was ignited and the
horrible execution was on. White SUI
fering intense agony. tainted and his
body hung limp. Shots were fired into
his body and the victim Of the mob
was soon dead.
Satisfied with its nights work, the
greater number of the lynchers left
the neighborhood. many OF them fear
ing arrest. However. a large number
of persons loitered at the scene. await
ing developments.
The failure of the county court TO
give White a speedy trial is In a great
measure responsible for last nights
tragedy. The citizens OF Wilmington
and those in the vicinity of the scene
II the crime wanted an Immediate
trial and Attorney General II. H. Ward
laid the matter before the court on
Thursday. with that end in view. The
court however. did not consider haste
expedient. and the trial was set for
the September term OF court. With
this decision Of the court the muir