The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-08-31
MOB CHEERS AT LYNCRING
WOMAN'S ASSAILANT IS BURNED
AT STAKE IN OKLAHOMA.
Thousands View Gruesome Spectacle
in Street of Purcell-Negro
Fired Home.

in Street Of Purcell-Negro
Fired Home.
Purcell, Okla, Aug. 24.-While
5000 men, women and children
stood by, shouting their approval,
Peter Carter, a negro, who had pre-
viously been captured by three men,
bers 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 Pur-
cell, at 5 o'clock this afternoon.
Deputy Sheriff Hayes and Under
Sheriff Farris, who attempted to res
cue the negro from the crowd, were
overpowered and locked in the court
house.
Assaulted and House Fired.
Mrs. Spraggins was assaulted
while alone in her room, one mile
south of Purcell. After the deed the
negro set fire to the Spraggins home.
Mrs. Spraggins's husband saw the
flames while working in the fields
and rushed into the house in time to
rescue his wife. She declared Carter,
who formerly worked on the Sprag-
gins's farm, had attacked her. Off,
GERS went to Carter's home and ar
rested him. He was turned over to
constable, but on the way to jail
escaped. 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.
Found Under Box Car.
This afternoon Higley Henry, a
negro janitor, noticed a 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. e
Turn that negro over to me" said
a tall farmer, who suddenly seemed
to assume command of the crowd.
Officers Plead in Vain.
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
juncture Deputy Sheriff Hayes and
Under Sheriff Farris arrived and
pleaded with the mob to turn the
prisoner over to them. The sherih
and his assistant were locked up and
the negro was led out and placed on
an oil-soaked brush heap, built
around a telephone pole. He was
tied to the pole and the torch ap-
piled. Cheers came from the crowd
as the flames licked the victims
face, and men and women in motor
cars watched him die. As he was
lashed to the pole the negro shrieked
for mercy. After the flames died
down the crowd slowly dispersed.
The negro's body was burned to a
crisp.
Victim Describes Attack.
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 scat
tered over her body. After the negro
had set the mattress on fire he fled.
AS Mrs. Spraggins was crawling from
under the fire the negro then reap
peared and again struck her with
the pipe, breaking her jaw and beat
ing her badly. Her husband, rushing
to the house, rescued his wife, un-
conscious. In few minutes more
she would have been dead.
Crowd Cheers Again.
The pile of wood and brush on
which the negro's body was burned
was still smouldering at 10 o'clock
tonight. The town was quiet. The