The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-05-19
THREE NEGROES BURNED AT
STAKE
PIT TO DEATH FOR Brutal vi r.
DER or WHITE GIRL

kllNlll. / eN., MAY o. III tt neg btS
were burned to death at the same
stake here by Il mob OF 800 men 11i-
lowing their alleged implication III the
criminal assault and murder of 11-year
old Eula Awsley. 4 white girl, wnoS"
mutilated body was found near here.
Snap" Curry, the first negro burn
ed. was taken from the custody OF
Freestone county officers as he was
being conveyed from Wurtham to
some point west. 1t is alleged that he
confessed to the mob that he had as
saulted and murdered the girl and
that in his confession he implicated
the two other negroes, J. II. Narney
and Nose Jones.
The mob Invested the sheriff of his
keys to the FreestOne county Jail
where Jones and Narney were being
held as suspects. lurryIng 10 the jail
the mob unlocked the doors and TOOK
the two negroes in charge. All three
negroes were then rushed To Kirvin.
the home of the dead girl, and an iron
stake driven into the ground on a
small square in the heart Of the town.
Wood was accumulated and saturated
with oil.
Curry was burned first. Then Var
ney and Jones. There was some delay
in burning the last two, inasmuCh as
they SteadfaStly asserted their inno-
Cence. Third-degree methods failed to
bring a confession from them and they
were finally cremated on the strength
of Currv'S testimony. After the third
negro had been burned to crisp
all three bodies were piled together
,,r and oil Hnnp
them. This was ignited. the flames
soaring twenty-five or thirty feet in
the air. The mob rapidly dispersed and
as dawned there were only few per
sons remaining to witness the after
math Of the triple cremation.
All three negroes were employed on
the farm of J. +. King, prominent
farmer of this community and grand
father OF the dead girl, with whom she
lived, both her parents being dead.
Mr.. King was present at the crema-
ton and the mob leaders are said to
have obtained his approval before
lighting the torches. The lynchngs
were carried out deliberately. There
was no discharge of firearms. 1t was
reported. however, that the bodies Of
the negroes We're mutilated before be-
ing tied to tie stake. With the eXccp-
tion of a few shots and the screams of
the condemned men there was little
to disturb the early morning quiet of
the backwOOdS community. The plot
where the burning took place is in
front of two churches. One of the ne
grOes is said to have died singing Il
church anthem.
Miss Awslcy was riding her horse
home from school, several miles from
Kirvin. late Thursday. wheT She was
attacked. Her body was later found
near the road with % knife wounds in
the head. neck and chest. News of the
murder quickly spread and late
Thursday band of several hundred
men from Fleetstonc and Limestone
counties and large sheriff's posse
were securing the neighbOrhoOd.
Curry was arrested when his wife
told officers he had come home with
his clothes covered with blood on the
night OF the murder.
Earnev and Jones asserted their in
nOcence to the end.
According TO farmers living near
the scene of the murder, Miss Avs
ley'S screams were heard twice on the
evening of the attack. some twenty
five to thirty minutes apart. They paid
no attention to the cries. believing
some child was being spanked.
Officers here said this seemed to in
dictate the girl was held captive near
~ thirty minutes by the negroes be-
fore she was killed