Fiend Tied To Tree and Shot To Death

• Cleveland Hardin

FIEND TIED TO TREE AND SHOT TO DEATH. Every Man in Crowd of 200 Empties Revolver in Body of Negro. AFTER HIS CONFESSION FULLY 1,000 BULLETS FIRED INTO THE BLACK ASSAILANT A WHITE WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN FULLY IDENTIFIED BY HIS INTENDED VICTIM-MOB ACTS OPENLY. By Associated Press. Florence, Ala., March 24. Cleveland Harding, the negro who attempted to assault Mrs. Ben. F. Ryce near here Friday and who was driven off by Mrs. Ryce’s shepherd dog, was summarily executed today by a mob of 200 or 300 persons. Tied to a tree, with his arms up, the negro was riddled with bullets, the first shot, It is said, being fired by Ryce, following which every man in the crowd emptied his revolver at the prisoner. Over 1.000 shots were fired. The negro was captured today half a mile below town and was taken before Mrs. Ryce, who fainted at the sight of him. Upon recovering she fully identified her assailant and, on being asked what should be done with him, told the negro’s captors to do as they thought best. Harding was taken a short distance from the Ryce home, where a conference of the mob leaders was held. Some persons favored burning him, but shooting was decided on. Beyond confessing his guilt, the negro had nothing to say and seemed indifferent to his fate. The body was left tied to the tree by the mob, the members of which made no attempt to shield their Identity. The sheriff overtook the crowd before , the lynching, but his appeals were unavailing.

“Fiend Tied To Tree and Shot To Death.” Reading Times (Reading, PA), March 25, 1907.