The Detroit times., 1911-08-25
NEGRO IS BURNED
HI THE sTAkE| IN
OKLAHOMA TT.
Victim. After Assaulting a White
Woman, u Caught BY Man Of His
own Color, Tied Toa Telephone
Pole and Body Roasted To Crispe
5000 Men, Women and Children
Shout Approval Of Tragedy-s-ofa-
cars Locked Up By Mob. J

PURcELL Okla. Aug. 25.-Peter
Carter, q Negro. who had been cap
tured by three members OF his own
race and identified as the man VINO,
Wednesday night, attacked Mrs. MIL
ME Spraggins, wife OF a farmer, was
burned TO death on a brush pile bon
are In the main street OF Purcell at
s o'clock. Thursday afternoon. a
crowd OF 5000 men. women and chit
dren shouted approval OF the Tragedy.
Depufy Sheriff Hayes and bhusr
Sheriff Farris, who, attempted TO res
cue the Negro from the crowd. were
orerpowereas land locked In -the-court
house >4--t-- s~-.s -ss--s -
Mrs. Spraggins was assaulted while
alone I'm her home, one mile south OIL
Purcell After the deed the Negro
set are to the Spraggins home. Mrs,
Spraggins husband saw the hames
while. WorkIng. in. the fields ana
rushed into the house in time 70 rss-
cue his wife. She said that Carter
who formerly worked on the Sprag
gins farm, had attacked her. Carter
was found and taken into custody. but
on the way 20 Jail Carter escaped.
Farmers of the neighborhood made
an all-night search for Carter, bat IN
vain.
Thursday afternoon. Hugh Henry, a
Negro janitor, noticed strange Ne
gro hiding under 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. Spraggins' assail-
ant, the Negro janitor pulled Carter
from beneath the car. He was taken
to the main street OF Purcell, where
q great crowd had gathered.
turn that Niger over to me- said
A tan farmer, who suddenly seemed
to assume command OF the crowd.
The janitor and his aides obeyed.
Carter was taken across the street
and in an instant many men and boys
were gathering brush and pihng II
around his feet. At this juncture
Deputy Sheriff Hayes and Under Sher-
~ Faffis arrived and pleaded with
the mob to turn the prisoner over 10
the law.
men or Purcell II you lynch this
man. # will be the darkest blot on
yourselves and the town OF Purcell
that any town ever experienced one
Of the officers declared. :
ssThats6 all right, sheriff. shouted
one ~ the mob, ''but we must project
ourswives and daughters from black
hounds"
The sheriff pleaded with the mob,
saying the Negro would be given m
Instant trial and that there would be
no chance for him to escape. After
the sheriff had concluded, the officers
were led 70 the court house. presunn-
ably to confer with some of the lead
ers. TxAs they entered q room IN The
building the hey was turned I'm the
lock and the oficers were held pris-
onens until the Negro was dead.
Asssoon ~ the sheriff and his as
sistants had been locked mp the
Negro was led 70 where an oil-soaked
brush heap had been built around q
telephone pole. He was tied to the
pole,. shrieking and imploring mercy.
The pile was lighted and the crowd
cheered, as the flames licked the VIC
TINS face Men and women In motor
cars stood up to watch himsdi After
the flames died down the crowd slow
~ dispersed. The Negroes body was
burned TO o. crisp.
Mrs. Spraggins, who IL not expect
ed 20 live. said Carter entered her
homie last night and struck her on
the head with a piece or gaspips,
beating her until she was unc6h.
scions. An old mattress was torn up
and scattered over her body ~ The
Negro had set the mattress afirei and
fed Az Mrs. Spraggins was crawling
from the Gre the, Negro sreappeared
and again struck her with the pipe,
breaking her Jaw. Spraggins, whoshad
gone out on the farm to do some work,
noticed the flames from the burning
structure and rushing to the house
rescued his wife, unconscious. In a
few minutes more Mrs. Spraggins
would have been dead and the crime
would have been hidden by the flames.
The pile OF wood and brush, on
which the Negroes body was burned
was still smoldering at 10, o'clock
Thursday night
The cheers Of the crowd, when the
nrst nafnes 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 crisp, the