The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-29
GORILLA NEGRO
BURNED ALIVE
He Had Assaulted Wife
of a Farmer Out In
Oklahoma
THOUSANDS WITNESSED IT

Horrible Details Of a Terrible Tragedy
i'm Purcell, Okla.-Burned On Trash
Pile in the Main Street-Omcers
WHO Attempted to Take Negro in
Charged Were Quickly O~verpowered
and a Leader of the Mob, a Stall
vart Farmer. Suddenly Appeared
and Took Charge of the Proceed
inGs.
Purcell, Okla, Aug. 24-While
three thousand men, women and
children stood by shouting their APP
prevail, Peter Carter, a negro. who had
been captured by three members of
his own race and identified as the man
who last night attacked Mrs. Minnie
Spraggins, wife Of a farmer, was
burned to death on a brush pile IN
the main street Of Purcell at five
o'clock this afternoon. Deputy Sher-
if Hayes and Under Sheriff Farrls,
who attempted to rescue the negro
from the crowd, We're overpowered
and locked in the courthouse.
Mrs. Spraggins was assaulted while
alone in her home one mile south Of
Purcell. After the deed, the negro
set fire to the Spraggins home. Mrs.
~Spraggins' husband saw the flames
while working in the fields and rush
ed into the house in time to rescue
his wife. She said that Garter, wtlc
formerly worked on the Spraggins
farm, had attacked her. Carter
was found and taken into
custody but on he way to
jail Carter escaped. Farmers of the
p~niyhhDrhnn nlodn an 9h niUht
search for Carter but in vain.
This Afternoon Hugh Henry, a ne
gro %janitor, noticed "a strange negro
hiding under a box car near the
Oklahoma Central Railway station.
With the aid Of two other negroes
who had armed themselves, to aid in
the search for Mrs. Spra2gins' assail-
ant, the janitor pulled Carter
from beneath the car. He was taken
TO the main street OF Purcell, where
d great crowd had gathered.
Turn that negro over to me- said
a tall farmer, who suddenly seemed
to assume command Of the crowd
The %janitOr and his two aid IS Obeyed.
Carter was taken across the street and
in an instant many men and boys
were gathering brush and piling it
around his feet. At this juncture
Deputy Sheriff Hayes and Under
H4ICI1I L III di11NSN dto piSc"A0N
with the mob to urn the prisoner
over to the law.
Men of Purcell, if you lynch this
man it Will be the darkest blot on
yourselves and the town Of Purcell
that any town eve experimental
That's all right. Sheriff." shouted
one OF the mob, but We must pro-
tect our wives and daughters ron
black hounds"
nh e. ~;f ~Joolol uith fhn mnh
saying the negro would be given an
instant trial and that there would be
no chance for him to escape. After
TIE sheriff had concluded the officers
were led to the courthouse, presum-
ably to confer with some OF the
leaders. As they entered a room IL
the building the key was turned II
the lock and the officers were he1C
prisoners until the negro was dead.
AS soon as the sheriff and his as
s~istants had been locked up the ne.
gro was led to where an oll-soake6
brush heap a been built around
telephone pole. He was tied TO bht
pole, s~hrieking n implorlng 1o'
mercy. The pile was lighted and the
crowd cheered as the flames licked
the victims face. Men and women II
motor cars too up to watch him die
After h flames lac died down thu
crowd slowly dispersed. The negrOt
pody was burned to a crisp.
Mrs. Spraggins, who is not expected
10 live, said Carter entered her home
last night and struck her on The
mead with a piece Of gas-pipe, beating
her until she was Moons cious. An
ola mattress was torn up and scat
tered over her body. The negro had
set the mattress afre and fed. AS
MRS. Spraggins was crawling out OF
me fire the negro r~eappeared and
AGAIN struck her with the vipe, break
ing her jaw. Mr.. ~Spraggins, who had
gone out on the farm to do some
work, noticed the flames from the
burning structure and rushing to the
mouse rescued his wife. unconscious.