The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1911-08-31
NEGRO BURNT TO DEATH
IN OKLAHOMA
FORASSAULTING WHITE WOMAN
mo NOISE OR EXCITEMENT
:RsWD QUIET BUT DETERMINED.

by, shouting their approval, Peter
Carter a negro, who had previously
been captured by three members OF
his own race and identified as the
man who last night attacked Mrs
Minnie Spraggins, wife of farmer,
was burned to death on brush pile,
in the main street Of Purcell, at ,
O'Clock this afternoon.
Deputy Sheriff Hayes and Under
Sheriff FaMis.who attempted to res
cue the negro from the crowd. were
overpowered and locked in the c"urt
house.
Mrs Spraggin> was assaulted while
alone in her home, one mile south Of
Purcell. After the deed the Negro
set fire to the Spragglns home. Mrs
Spraggins's husband saw the flames
while working in the fields and rush
ed into the house in time TO rescue
his wife. She declared that Carter,
who formerly worked on the Sprag-
gins's farm, had attacked her. Officers
went TO Carter's home and arrested
him. He was turned over to a con-
stable but on the way to Jail es-
capped. When it became known that
the negro was free, farmers Of the
neighborhood organized posse and
an all-night search was made. The
negro was not found.
This afternoon Higley Henry, a
negro janltor, noticed strange ne
gro riding under a box car near the
Oklahoma Central Railway station,
With the aid of two other negroes,
who had armed themselves, the ne
gro janitor pulled Carter from be-
meath the car. He was taken to the
main street of Purcell, where 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 aides
obeyed. Carter was taken across the
street and in an instant many men
and boys were gathered. At this
jun2(lre Deputy Sheriff Hayes and
UA. Sheriff Farris arrived and
pleaded with the mob to turn the
prisoner over to them. The Sheriff
and his assistant were locked up and
the negro was led out and placed on
an oil-soaked brush heap, built
around telephone pole. He was
tied to the pole and the torch ap-
piled. Cheers came from the crowd
as the flames licked the victim S
face, and men and women in motor
cars watched him die. AS he was
! lashed to the pole the negro shrleked
for mercy. After the flames died
down the crowd slowly dispersed.
The negro's body was burned to a
crisp.
Mrs SpragginS. who is not expect
ed to live, said Carter entered her
home last night and struck her on
the head with a gas pipe beating her
until she was unconscious. An old
mattress was torn up and scattered
over her body. After the negro had
set the mattress IN fire he fed As
Mrs Spraggins was crawling from
under the fire the negro reappear"d
and again struck her with the pipe,
,breaking her jaw and heating her
badly. Her husband rushing to the
house, rescued his wife, unconscious.
In a few minutes more she would
have been dead.
The pile of wood and brush on
4Nch the negro's body was burned
was still smouldering at 10 O'Clock
tonight. The town was quiet. The
cheers of the crowd when the first
flames shot up mingled with the
piercing cries of the negro, and after
the fire had burned for an hour
and the body was nothing but a
crisp, the crowd again cheered. Then
it dispersed.
A remarkable feature about the
affair was that while the crowd was
It.,o;,aJ ,,pOn the death of the