Burning a negro alive

BURNING A NEGRO ALIVE. Some time since. we published an account of the murder of Miss Thornton an interest- ing young girl, residing Dear Gaston, Ala- bama. Immediately, after the murder and detection of the negro, his immediate punish- ment was seriously contemplated by the peo- ple of Sumter county, but after mature de- liberation, the law abiding citizens delivered him into the custody of the proper officers, and he was committed to prison. At the late term of the circuit court of Sumter county, the attorney appointed by the court. in the discharge of his duty mov- ed for a change of venue to Green county. The Judge, as the motion was sustained by the proper affidavit, sustained the applica- tion. On Wednesday last the citizens of South Sumter assembled en masse at Mr. Wm. McElroy’s and unanimously passed a series of resolutions, reflecting seriously upou the conduct of the Judge, and after having pledged themselves to sustain each other, & portion of them proceeded to Livingston, and took the miserable criminal, by force from the jail where he was confined. On Friday last after due preparations they carried him to the spot where he 80 cruelly murdered his innocent victim and burnt him alive at the stake. About three thousand persons were pres- ent, who witnessed, with various emotions, the dreadful spectacle. We were present, but hope that we will never again witness a scene like it. The pyre was composed of several cords of light-wood, in the centre of which was a green willow stake selected in consequence of its indestructibility by fire. On the top of the pile of lightwood, the criminal was placed and securely chained to the stake. While in this situation he con- fessed his guilt, stating that he had no ac- complice, that he was actuated by lust alone that he had attempted to violate her person but had failed, and to conceal the attempt he cruelly murdered her by beating the poor innocent creature with a stump, that while he was doing this she implored him to carry her home to her father and that she would conceal the violence he had inflicted. He then left her, but soon retured, and after again beating her, he concealed the body in the very hole where the stake was planted to which he suffered. After this confession was made, the match was applied, and in a few moments the de- vouring flames were enveloping the doomed negro; his fearful cries resounded through the air, while the surrounding negroes who wintessed his dreadful agony and horrible contortions, set up an involuntary howl of horror. His sufferings though excruciating were short; in a few minutes the flames had enveloped him entirely, revealing now and then as they fitfully swayed, hither and thith- er, his black and burning carcass like a de- mon of the fire, grinning as if in hellish tri- umpb, at his tormentors. Soon all was over, nothing was left but the burning flesh and charred skeleton, of this human devil who could thus deliberately perpetrate so foul a crime. venged, The though horrid outrage the of heavens fearfuly flesh, reek- a- was and were ing with the stench burning yet justice was satisfied; the law of retaliation was inflicted as nearly as it could be, while the example made of this wretch had, no doubt a salutary effect upon the two thou. sand slaves who witnessed the execution. We are far from approving of the infliction of mob law, yet in agravated cases like this popular ebulition will manifest itself and in view of the enormity of the wretch’s offence we as a public journalist, cannot approve, yet we have neither time nor inclination to censure the conduct of the people of South Sumter. Justice was inflicted by them: and a thousand deaths of the kind were too good for a devil, like negro Dave.-Landerdale Republican. BURNING A NEGRO ALIVE. Some time since. we published an account of the murder of Miss Thornton an interest- ing young girl, residing Dear Gaston, Ala- bama. Immediately, after the murder and detection of the negro, his immediate punish- ment was seriously contemplated by the peo- ple of Sumter county, but after mature de- liberation, the law abiding citizens delivered him into the custody of the proper officers, and he was committed to prison. At the late term of the circuit court of Sumter county, the attorney appointed by the court. in the discharge of his duty mov- ed for a change of venue to Green county. The Judge, as the motion was sustained by the proper affidavit, sustained the applica- tion. On Wednesday last the citizens of South Sumter assembled en masse at Mr. Wm. McElroy’s and unanimously passed a series of resolutions, reflecting seriously upou the conduct of the Judge, and after having pledged themselves to sustain each other, & portion of them proceeded to Livingston, and took the miserable criminal, by force from the jail where he was confined. On Friday last after due preparations they carried him to the spot where he 80 cruelly murdered his innocent victim and burnt him alive at the stake. About three thousand persons were pres- ent, who witnessed, with various emotions, the dreadful spectacle. We were present, but hope that we will never again witness a scene like it. The pyre was composed of several cords of light-wood, in the centre of which was a green willow stake selected in consequence of its indestructibility by fire. On the top of the pile of lightwood, the criminal was placed and securely chained to the stake. While in this situation he con- fessed his guilt, stating that he had no ac- complice, that he was actuated by lust alone that he had attempted to violate her person but had failed, and to conceal the attempt he cruelly murdered her by beating the poor innocent creature with a stump, that while he was doing this she implored him to carry her home to her father and that she would conceal the violence he had inflicted. He then left her, but soon retured, and after again beating her, he concealed the body in the very hole where the stake was planted to which he suffered. After this confession was made, the match was applied, and in a few moments the de- vouring flames were enveloping the doomed negro; his fearful cries resounded through the air, while the surrounding negroes who wintessed his dreadful agony and horrible contortions, set up an involuntary howl of horror. His sufferings though excruciating were short; in a few minutes the flames had enveloped him entirely, revealing now and then as they fitfully swayed, hither and thith- er, his black and burning carcass like a de- mon of the fire, grinning as if in hellish tri- umpb, at his tormentors. Soon all was over, nothing was left but the burning flesh and charred skeleton, of this human devil who could thus deliberately perpetrate so foul a crime. venged, The though horrid outrage the of heavens fearfuly flesh, reek- a- was and were ing with the stench burning yet justice was satisfied; the law of retaliation was inflicted as nearly as it could be, while the example made of this wretch had, no doubt a salutary effect upon the two thou. sand slaves who witnessed the execution. We are far from approving of the infliction of mob law, yet in agravated cases like this popular ebulition will manifest itself and in view of the enormity of the wretch’s offence we as a public journalist, cannot approve, yet we have neither time nor inclination to censure the conduct of the people of South Sumter. Justice was inflicted by them: and a thousand deaths of the kind were too good for a devil, like negro Dave.-Landerdale Republican.