The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-05-11
Negroes Charged With AS
saulting White Woman
and Killing Her.
IN ORDERLY FASHION
Burning of Negroes Follows
Confession by ''Snap" Curry
Who Implicated Others.
tBy Associated Press Leased wire.)

(By Associated Press Leased Wlre.)
Kirvin, Tex. - Three negroes were
burned to death at the same stake
here at 5 o'clock this morning by a
mob of 500 determined men following
their alleged implication in the Grim
inal assault and murder of II year
old Eula Awsley, white girl, whose
mutilated body was found near here
Thursday night.
"Snap" Curry, the first negro burn
ed was taken from the custody of Free
stone county officers earlier in the
night as he was being conveyed from
Workman to some point west. It is
alleged that he confessed to the mob
that he had assaulted and murdered
the girl and that in his confession he
implicated two other negroes, J. H.
Varney and Nose Jones.
Take Negroes from Jail.
The mob took the other two negroes
from the county jail and all three
negroes were then rushed to Kirvin,
home of the dead girl and an iron
stake driven into the ground on small
square in the heart of the town. Wood
was accumulated and saturated with
oil.
Curry was burned first. Then Var
hey and Jones. There was some de-
lay in burning the last two as they
steadfastly maintained their innocence.
Third degree methods failed to bring
a confession and they were finally ere
mated on the strength of Curry's tes-
timony After the third negro had
been burned all three bodies were piled
together and mass of fuel and oil
flung over them. This was ignited. At
an early hour today the flames were
still burning fercely.
All three negroes were employed on
the farm of J. T. King, prominent
farmer and grandfather of the dead
girl with whom she lived, her parents
being dead. Mr.. King was present at
the cremation and the mob leaders
are said to have obtained his approval
thereof before lighting the torches.
Everything is "OrderIy."
The lynchings were carried out
deliberately. There was no dis
charge of fire arms nor was any un-
due violence attempted although it
is understood the bodies of the negroes
were mutilated before being tied to
the stake. With the exception of
few shouts and screams of the con-
demned men there was little to dis
IL "a -
baclsawoods community. The incident
took place directly in front sof two
small churches. One of the negroes
is said to have died singing church
hymn.
Kirvin is town Of about 500 inhabi-
tants situated in Freestone county,
east central Texas, about 80 miles
south of Dallas.
Mr.. King resides at Kirwin. Miss
Awsley was riding her horse home
from the school which she attended,
several miles from Kirvin, late Thurs
day, when she was attacked. Her
body was found later near the road
with twenty-three knife wounds in
flicted in the head, neck and chest.
News of the murder spread quiekly
and late Thursday band of several
hundred men and large sheriff's
posse were securing the neighborhood.
Jones and Varney had previously
been arrested on suspicion and placed
in the county jail at Fairfield. This
is the first triple lynching in Texas
within the recollection of the present
day residents.