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RAPIST DIES IN
ROARING FLAMES
Usual Crime of the Negro
Avenged at the Stake.
NOTHING BUT ASHES ARE LEFT
Culprit Confessed and Begged For
Mercy—Blacks Helped to Kin¬
dle the Consuming Fire.
With agonizing screams and his
eyes bulging from his head, John Wes¬
ley Pennington, a negro, was burned
at the stake near Enterprise, Ala.,
Wednesday morning before a crowd of
five hundred enraged and determined
citizens of CofTee county. The assem¬
blage was composed of both whites
and blacks and though the suffering
wretch pleaded for mercy and franti¬
cally endeavored to break the chains
that tightly bound him, not a trace of
sympathy was shown on the hardened
faces that peered at him through the
flames. Pennington had committed a
brutal assault upon Mrs. J. C. Davis,
the wife of one of the most prominent
farmers of Coffee county, and con¬
fessed his guilt.
The crime was committed Tuesday
afternoon while Mrs. Davis was gath¬
ering vegetables in her garden. He
choked the fear-stricken woman into
insensibility, accomplished his inten¬
tion and fled through the woods near
by. As soon as she regained her
senses Mrs. Davis crawled to the
house and told her husband what had
happened. A large posse was quickly
organized and, with bloodhounds, they
chased the negro until early in the
morning, when he was captured in a
swamp. Pennington was bound hand
and foot and taken by his captors to
the Davis home for identification.
Negro Faces His Victim.
News of the assaulton Mrs. Davis had
been sent by runners for miles around
Enterprise and every farmer in the
neighborhood had left his plow to join
Jn the search. Some of them were too
late to join the pursuing party and
went t® the Davis home and awaited
their return. There is not a telegraph
office in Coffee county, but the news
quickly traveled, and when the posse
arrived Wednesday morning with Pen¬
nington there were at least five hun¬
dred persons gathered near the Davis
residence. A great shout went up
when the prisoner was seen by the
crowd, hut at a signal the men -with¬
drew to the woods and quietly awaited
the result of the meeting between Pen¬
nington and Mrs. Davis.
Mrs. Davis immediately recognized
him and the negro broke down and
-wept. He admitted having committed
the assault and pleaded for mercy, but
with cries of terror the trembling man
was dragged from the house and into
the woods, where the crowd had gath¬
ered. Evidently expecting the confes¬
sion sevei-al of the citizens had already
driven a stake in the ground and as
the men approached with Pennington
boiu whites and blacks were piling
brushwood around the iron pipe. The
negro saw his doom, and with an aw¬
ful scream of terror fell to the ground
in a faint.
He was quickly revived and dragged
to the stake, while the crowd stood si¬
lently by. . The frightened man was
limp and had to be held up while the
chains %vere fastened around his neck
and body. When all was ready the cry
was given and the crowd stood back.
A match was applied to the pile affil,
with oil to feed upon, the tiny flame
soon burst into a roaring fire. The
terrified negro again pleaded for mer¬
cy in the most agonizing tones and
prayed to God that those around him
might perish. He then called upon the
Maker for forgiveness and as the
flames leaped up and encircled his
neck an unearthly shriek was heard
and the man’s eyes almost bulged out
of the sockets. By this time the fire
had gained such headway ti|at nothing
could be seen except a wriggling mo¬
tion in the center of the circle of fire.
A deathly silence enveloped the awful
sight and in a few minutes the flames
had sufficiently subsided to see that
Pennington’s head had fallen forward
and hung limp over the iron chain.
The body was quickly consumed and
all of Pennington that remained was a
pile of ashes. The crowd then quietly
dispersed.
Negro Editors Roast Tillman.
The Western Negro Press Associa¬
tion in session at Colorado Springs
Wednesday adopted resolutions con¬
demning Senator Tillman, of South
Carolina, for his recent utterance on
the race question and denounce white
people who have burned negroes at
the stake.
NEWS SUMMARY
>1 Paramount Events of the
Day Briefly and Suocintly
Paraphrazed.
—The African Methodist. Episcopal
presiding elders’ council of Georgia
adjourned Thursday niter a three days’
session at Eatonton, Ga.
—Jamea Radney, who killed his sis¬
ter's husband in Johnson county, Ga.,
a few (lays ago, has been, after a full
investigation by the courts, given his
freedom, the evidence showing clearly
a case of self-defense.
—Nashville, Tenn., voters, by a good
margin, authorize the subscription of
$1,000,000 in stock to the Nashville and
Clarksville railroad.
—There were no new features in the
strike situation Thursday. Rumors of
a settlement are said to be unfounded.
—General MacArthur ha3 made a re¬
port on conditions in the Philippines.
He gives a statement of casualties
from May, 1900, to June. 1901. and
thinks the army and navy will have to
mold the natives.
—The Knights of Labor will bring
quo warranto proceedings against At¬
torney General Knox to make him
show why he has not enforced the anti¬
trust law.
—The navy department has ordered
the battleship Wisconsin to be held in
readiness to proceed to Panama.
—The Afro-American council, in con¬
vention, resolved to ask congress to
take action to prevent lynching.
—John Winters is under arrest at
San Francisco for connection with the
smelter robbery. The man was be-
trayed by his cap which he lost on the
night of the robbery.
—Santos Dumont’s airship burst at
Paris Thursday while descending. The
navigator miraculously escaped.
—The steamship Oceanic ran down
the Kincora near Queenstown. Seven
persons in the latter vessel were
drowned.
—Estrada Palma fears to accept tha
presidency of Cuba because of the dis¬
jointed political conditions.
—Sales of fertilizers in Georgia for
the present season have been about
500,000 or 75,000 tons more than in any
former season and nearly 90,000 tons
more than last year.
—The railroads of Georgia have re¬
fused to issue free passes to members
of the state agricultural society this
year, and the delegates will have to
pay their fare.
—J. W. Hutchins, editor of The
Sarchlight, was sent to jail Wednesday
by Recorder Broyles, of the Atlanta
police court, in default of a $10,000
bond, under the charge of publishing
obscene literature.
—In the Georgia horticultural con¬
vention at Milledgeville President
Berckmans, in his address, made a
plea for the preservation of the for¬
ests.
—In the court at Fairburn, Ga., Wed¬
nesday four more of the men impli¬
cated in the kiiling of Sterling Thomp¬
son, colored, were convicted and sen¬
tenced.
—Savannah’s classincation commit¬
tee threw out the bale of cotton sent
by a negro of Dougherty county as a
first bale, old cotton having been
found in it.
—Covington, Ga., will soon have a
new telephone system. Citizens have
formed a stock company and claim
they will get cheaper service.
—In the Alabama constitutional con¬
vention Wednesday the offices of cir¬
cuit solicitors were abolished. Each
county is to have a solicitor.
—The strikers at Knoxville, Tenn.,
have instituted a boycott against the
traction cars by persuading their fel¬
low workmen not to patronize the com¬
pany.
—The government titles to land for
the naval station at Charleston, S. C.,
have been perfected and work will
soon begin.
—Iowa republicans in state conven¬
tion at Cedar Rapids Wednesday nomi¬
nated Cummins for governor. The
platform denounces election laws in
the south.
—Awed by the kidnaping of their
leaders, the strikers at Tampa, Fla.,
are willing to make terms.
—Near Enterprise, Ala., a negro was
burned at the stake Wednesday morn¬
ing for assaulting a white woman.
—The United States gunboat Ma-
chias has been ordered to Colon on ac¬
count of the troubles prevailing near
that place.
—Fusion has been decided on by the
democrats, silver republicans and pop¬
ulists of Nebraska.
—Two young men were arrested in
West Virginia Wednesday for assault¬
ing and murdering a 17-year-old girl.
—Birmingham, Ala., has completed
all arrangements for the entertain¬
ment of the International Typographi¬
cal Union, which convenes in that
city.
CITIZENS OF TAMPA
ACT AS KIDNAPERS
Strike Leaders Forcibly
Seized and Deported.
DESTINATION IS KEPT SECRET
Business Men Determined to Rid
City of Anarchists—Strongly
Worded Reclamation.
The strike situation at Tampa, Fla.,
is one of awe and bewilderment on the
part of the citizens. No word has been
received from or about the Resistencia
leaders who were deported Monday
night, and the vigilantes are sworn to
secrecy, further than that they admit
the men will never return to Tampa.
The exact number of the men deported
is not yet known, further than that ev¬
ery prominent leader of the union is
missing. It is said that other less
prominent leaders are marked ^nl
that their deportation may take place
at any moment
The kidnaping of Monday night had
been well planned for days. A great
open air meeting had been arranged,
to which all the Resistencia leaders
had been invited, the purpose being to
catch them all in a bunch. They were
all present. Music had been provided
and the streets were lined with thou¬
sands of people. Shortly before the
posse of citizens reached the place the
news reached the strike leaders and
they quickly dispersed.
The crowd was not daunted, how¬
ever, and commenced a man-to-man
search through the street and snatch¬
ed the men from the crowds. They
were placed into carriages that had
been provided, between heavily armed
guards and driven away.
The captured leaders were at once
driven to the county jail, where they
remained on the outside under guard
for a few minutes. Then they disap¬
peared from there and have not been
seen or heard of since. Various ru¬
mors as to their disposition have been
circulated about the city, it being
most generally reported that they
were taken into the gulf in an un¬
known vessel. All of the deported
strike leaders were Spaniards and Cu¬
bans. The boldness of the whole af¬
fair and the accomplishment of the
deportation without bloodshed is one
of the remarkable features.
It develops that twelve more strik¬
ers, who were among the subleaders,
were deported Tuesday afternoon and
night. Some of the striaers held a
number of meetings during the day
secretly and conferred with a number
of lawyers with a view of taking some
action. No one would take the case,
all being engaged in the interest of
the international union?
A proclamation was issued Tuesday
afternoon signed “The People of Tam¬
pa,” which says in part:
“To the Anarchists and Professional
Labor Agitators: We say that your
days in Tampa are at an end. We can¬
not and will not permit you to destroy
this prosperous city. If you have re¬
gard for your safety, you will shake its
dust from your feet. In conclusion,
we notify the manufacturers that this
movement of citizens is not in their
interest, but in the interest of the en¬
tire community.”
PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGK.
Wires Condolence to Kaiser On the
Death of Dowager Empress.
President McKinley has sent the
following message to Emperor William
of Germany on the death of his moth-
er:
“State Department, Washington, Au¬
gust 6.—His Imnerial and Royal Ma¬
jesty, Wilhelm II, German Emperor,
Berlin: I learn with deep sorrow of
the death of your majesty’s beloved
mother, the Dowager Empress and
Queen Frederick. Her noble qualities
have endeared her memories to the
American people, in whose name and
in my own I tender to your majesty
heartfelt condolences.
“WILLIAM McKINLEY."
KNOX MUST ANSWER.
He Is Asked Why the Anti-Trust Law
Is Not Enforced.
District Assembly No. 66, of the
Knights of Labor, at Washington, ha?
authorized its legislative committee
to bring quo warranto proceedings
against the attorney general of the
United States to show cause why he
has not enforced the provisions of the
anti-trust law, known as the Sherman
act.
This action is aimed at the United
States Steel Corporation, which is, it
is alleged, operating in violation of
the Sherman act.
FtiUll MOKE convictions.
Remaining (Juailet of Sterling Thomp¬
son Murderers T.ied and ,'enteuced.
Wednesday morning the ease of the
State vs, J. S. Cochran, alias Steve
Cochran, was celled in the Campbell
superior court at Fairourn, Ga., and
defendant was put on trial charged
with murder of Sterling Thompson.
The jury found a verdict of guilty as
accessory alter the fact and Judge
Candler imposed a sentence of six
months in Fulton county jail and
twelve months on the chaingang of
Fulton county, being the longest term
for the offense.
Jim Polk Demooney, John Pace and
John McKinzie, all charged with the
same crime, then entered pleas of
guilty to voluntary manslaughter. De¬
mooney and Pace were given one year
each in the state penitentiary and Mc¬
Kinzie three years.
Thus ends the most noted murder
case ever docketed in Campbell coun¬
ty. Three defendants, Pegram Coch¬
ran. Shell Cochran and "Lnnt” Hes¬
ter, are already serving life sentences
in the penitentiary for the same of¬
fense.
CUMMINS FOR GOVERNOR.
Iowa Republicans Gather at Cedar
Rapids and Name Mate Ticket.
The republicans of Iowa held their
state convention in Cedar Rapids Wed¬
nesday and nominated the following
ticket:
For governor, A. B. Cummins, Des
Moines; lieutenant governor, John
Harriott, Stuart; judge of the supreme
court, S. M. Weaver, Iowa Falls; rail¬
road commissioner, E. C. Brown, Shel¬
don; superintendent of public instruc¬
tion, R. C. Barrett, Osage.
The platform adopted expresses
“gratification over the indorsement
given to the administration of Rresi-
dent McKinley by the decisive major¬
ity of last year, and rejoices in the
manifold benefits resulting to the
country from his re-election.” One
paragraph aimed at the south reads as
follows:
“We are earnestly opposed to all
legislation designed to accomplish the
disfranchisement of etttaens upon lines
of race, color or station of life and
condemn the measures adopted by the
democratic party in certain states
to accomplish that end.”
ALL AIMED AT GORMAN.
Republicans of Maryland Hold Forth
at Baltimore In State Convention.
The Maryland republican state con¬
vention held in Baltimore Tuesday
placed in nomination the following
ticket:
For State Comptroller—Hermann
S. Platt.
For Clerk of the Court of Appeals—
Thomas Parran.
Both nominations were made by ac¬
clamation, no other names coming be¬
fore the convention. Interest, there¬
fore, centered mainly in the platform
and the speeches, all of which teemed
with denunciation of democracy in
general and former United States Sen¬
ator Gorman in particular. “The
white supremacy” issue raised by the
democrats in the platform adopted by
them at their recent convention was
ignored in that upon which the repub¬
lican candidates will stand, but it came
in for its share of unfavorable mention
in the speeches.
WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING.
Triple Lynching In Mississippi to Be
Rigidly Investigated.
The sensational lynching of three
negroes at Carrollton some days ago
affords an excellent opportunity to
make a fair test of the possibility of
convicting the members of a mob in a
court in Mississippi. There was no
pretense at concealment whatever.
Assurances have already been given
of a rigid investigation, but it is gen¬
erally believed that it will result in no
indictments being found, which has al¬
ways been the case heretofore on such
occasions.
Foreigners Cannot Bring Suit.
International complications have
arisen between the United States and
Italy on account of the decision of a
court that a non-resident alien is not
entitled to sue for damages in the
courts of Colorado.
LOWER DUTIES OR ANNEXATION
Tobacco Buyers In Cuba Urge Adop¬
tion of More Favorable Rates.
The union of tobacco buyers of Ha¬
vana was recently asked by the mer¬
chants’ union to give an opinion as to
the duties levied in the United States
upon Cuban tobacco. The reply was
to tfie effect that the duty on cigars,
wrappers and fillings should be decid¬
edly reduced.
A long preamble asserts that Cuba,
if she does not obtain concessions to
which she has a perfect right, in view
of the fact that she is under the eco¬
nomic protection of the United States,
should ask for annexation.
BUILDINGS WRECKED
ANMMNY MANGLED
Deadly Explosion Occurs
In the Quaker City.
CAUSED BY BARREL OF GASOLINE
Five Houses Demolished and De¬
bris Takes Fire—List of /Taint¬
ed Will Reach Two Score.
A terrific explosion in a block of
six buildings at Philadelphia Monday
night completely destroyed five of the
structures and caused the death of
from ten to twenty or more persons.
Over two score of others were more
or less seriously injured. Some of
those taken to the hospital will die.
It is not known how many persons
were in the five buildings when the
explosion occurred, and the exact
number of dead probably will not be
known for some time.
The buildings were occupied as fol¬
lows:
No. 1008, Housman’s pooi and bil¬
liard rooms.
No. j.010, Moses Rosenthal s second¬
hand clothing store, occupied by Ro¬
senthal, his wife ana five children.
No. 1012, William Jones, colored,
restaurant, occupied by by Jones and
about fifteen boarders.
No. 1014, George McLemmy’s gro¬
cery store, occupied by McLemmy,
clerk and servant girl.
No. 1016, Quigley’s grocery store,
occupied by Quigley, his wife, three
children and his uncle.
No. 1018, Albert Mounten’s grocery
and meat store, occupied by Mounten,
brother, sister and clerk.
The explosion occurred about 9:30
o’clock. What exploded and how it
happened is not known so far, but it
is believed to have been a barrel of
gasoline in one of the three groceries.
Almost every building in a radius of
two blocks of the explosion had win¬
dow panes shattered and were other¬
wise damaged. Every building of the
opposite of Locust street was more
or less wrecked, but none of them fell,
A terrible cry went up from the
ruins the moment the explosion occur¬
red. Women, children and men, occu¬
pants of the wrecked houses, could
be seen crawling from the debris,
while the agonizing cries of others
were heard in the wreckage. From all
the surrounding buildings injured peo¬
ple came running and fell Into the
street, unconscious. To add to the
horror, fire broke out in the debris the
moment it settled to the ground, and
in less than five minutes the great pile
was burning fiercely from end to end.
A general alarm was turned in for
fire apparatus and ambulances, and in
the meantime the work of rescue was
voluntarily begun by those in the
neighborhood who were not injured.
Here and'there a person was dragged
from the ruins before the fire could
reach the victims, several lives being
saved by this prompt work. When the
firemen reached the scene the flames
had made great headway and were ig¬
niting the buildings across the street.
The fire, however, was soon under con¬
trol.
Digging For Victims.
The work of digging away the ruins
was then begun in earnest. Near the
edge of the debris several colored men
were taken out and sent to the hospit¬
als. While the firemen and police¬
men were digging in the debris and
hauling away heavier timbers in sev¬
eral sections, of the wreckage, cries
were heard coming from the cellar of
Mounten’s grocery store. Fifty m,en,
with rope and tackle, were immediate¬
ly put to work at that point, and pull¬
ed away the roofing and flooring,
which had fallen into a massed heap.
From the bottom of the pile, doubled
up, were taken a man and woman.
The man was able to speak, but the
woman was apparently dead.
While the work of rescue was going
on in the exploded block, hospital at¬
tendants and others made a search of
all the damaged houses on the oppo¬
site side of the street and almost a
score of persons were taken to various
hospitals from these places.
STATE FUNDS TIED UP.
Closed Bank at Austin, Texas, Was
Common wealth Depository.
The special committee appointed by
the Texas legislature to investigate
the heavy deposit of the state of Texas
in the First National bank when that
bank was closed by a receiver August
, held its second meeting Thursday
behind closed doors. State Treasurer
Robbins testified to the fact that there
was $358,208.89 tied up in the bank,
the same being money collected by the
bank for the state treasury on checks
in to cover taxes and money due
state lands.