Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1901 — HANGED AND BURNED. [ARTICLE]

HANGED AND BURNED.

FRENZIED HOOSIERS TORTURE GEORGE WARD. African Who Killed Miaa Finkelstcln Taken front Jail at Terre Haute, la Swnng from a Bridge, and Later Incinerated in Oil. George Ward, the uegro who murdered !/liss Ida Finkeisteiu, the aehool teacher, near Terre Haute, Iml., was placed in jail at 11 o’clock Tuesday moruiug, and shortly before 1 o’clock was tnken out by a mob, dragged face downward to the banks of the Wabash, only two squares away, at the wagon bridge ut the foot of the main street of the city, thence to the draw, and hanged from a beam more dead than alive. Then his body was cut down and tumbled off the bridge on the west hauk of the river and a tire built, on which he was burned. For two hours the crowd came and went in thousands, while a few hundred gathered close to the fire and renewed it as k died down with oil mid-crates from a near-by poultry house. The hat was passed around several times foe money to buy oil. Home of the bridge weather-hoarding was torn off for fuel. No effort was made by the authorities to stop the inhuman conduct, uud so far as appearances went it was simply a big bonfire, watched idly by a great number of people. The lynchers were not disguised. When'the crowd near the fire tired of renewing if after two hours, it was seen that the victim's feet were not burned. Home one called an offer of a dollar for one of the toes, and a boy quickly took out his knife and cut off a toe. The offer was followed by others, and the horrible traffic was continued, youths holding up toes and asking for bids. Ward’s arrest was brought about by his neighbor, who, having read in the morning paper of the murder of Miss Finkelstein ami knowing that Ward hnd been hunting, informed the police. Ward was a day laborer at the car works, and there the police found him. He denied everything, and told a story of his whereabouts Monday afternoon. His hand was badly cut. lie said the wound was made in climbing a barbed-wire fence. At police headquarters he was searched, and a few dollars found in his pockets. The first story told was that he had robbed Miss Finkeisteiu of sls, but her money was found where the struggle took place iu the woods east of the city, along the path she took from her country school. After u time at headquarters Ward confessed to Sheriff Fasig- He said: “I was out hunting and while walking just north of the golf grounds met u young lady. I was walking behind her when she turned to me and told me not to walk behind her. but to walk in front of her. I replied, ’All right, lady,’ aud started to walk around her. When I was almost even with her she turned to me and called me a ‘dirty nigger’ and struck me. 1 pulled up my gun and shot her. I was about ten feet away from her aud she fell on her face. I pulled out my knife while she was on her hack and cut her throat. I then got up and walked toward the car and came into 10th street, where I got off.”