"Los Angeles Evening Herald" newspaper of Los Angeles, California - May 6, 1922 edition

GIRL SLAYERS ARE BURNED AT THE STAKE

  KIRVIN, Tex., May 6 - Enraged citizens meted out punishment today for the attack and
murder of Eula Ausley, 17, by burning three negroes to death, one by one.
  The suspects were put to death in a vacant lot in the business district at dawn, while
a crowd of 500 men, women and children looked on.
  The negroes had been arrested after searching parties had combed this district Thursday
night and all day yesterday. One of the them finally confessed.
  
    BOUND TO PLOWS
  The negroes were first mutilated and then burned, each being bound to an old plow around
which firewood was stacked.
  "Snap" Curry, the negro who made the confession, was the first to be burned.
  Strapped to the seat of the plow under which the fire was started, Curry exclaimed, "Burn
Mose Jones and John Cornish as they are as guilty as I."
  
    SINGS AS HE BURNS
  The negro displayed a complete lack of fear and while the flames were leaping up and 
enveloping his body he sang, "Oh, Lord, I Am Coming."  The song suddenly ceased in about
five minutes and Curry had gone to his Maker. The crowd cheered.
  Jones and Cornish were placed in succession on the pile of embers and more fuel added.
All three bodies were burned to a crisp.
  Clande and Audie Crowell held at Fairfield pending investigation of
  (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE)

  the murder of Eula Ausley, were released from the custody shortly before noon today when 
authorities became convinced they had no connection with the crime. 
  John King, grandfather of the dead girl, told officials he was certain the negroes were
alone responsible for the outrage and that the Crowells had no connection with the killing.
  Since Thursday afternoon, when the girl's body was found covered with stab wounds, the 
throat completely slashed from ear to ear and with evidence of an attack, the entire 
countryside had been engaged in a sensational hunt.
  Curry was captured through the cunning of another negro, Harry Spence. 
  Spense was riding along a country road late yesterday when he came upon Curry and offered
him a "lift".
  Curry, not realising he was suspected, got up behind. As the two were about to pass the 
home of Homer Miller, a while man, Spence told Curry he wanted a drink of water and went 
into Miller's house. Almost immediately Miller appeared and covered Curry with a gun and
marched him to the Wortham jail.
  A mob formed and the negro was slipped out of the back window of a bank building, where
he had been taken for safe keeping by Sheriff H. M. Mayo.
  
    CHASE SHERIFF
  The mob on discovering the sheriff's ruse, took up the pursuit, and about five miles out 
of Wortham overtook the sheriff and his prisoner. The sheriff abandoned his automobile and
dashed into a cotton field.
  Eluding the mob, the sheriff rushed the negro to Fairfield. There Curry confessed and 
involved the two other negroes. Jones and Cornish were arrested and taken to Fairfield.
  The mob hurried to Fairfield, broke in the jail door and took three negroes from the 
sheriff at the point of revolvers. They were 
  ...
  Miss Ausley was a niece of Otis King, mayor of Kirvin.
  Two white men were being held at Fairfield today in connection with the murder, having
been arrested yesterday. Excitement was still at fever height and efforts were being made
to prevent further mob violence.
  
    RIGHT MEN, CLAIM
  "They got the right men all right - there isn't any doubt about that," Mayo declared 
emphatically when asked if there was any chance that one or more of the negroes was 
innocently cremated.
  "The blacks had planned to attack the girl for six weeks. They had laid in wait for her
several times. When she rode along the road Thursday afternoon they jumped from a thicket
alongside the road and dragged her from her horse into the woods.
  "There the beasts attacked her and murdered her. They beat her face into a pulp in an
effort to hide her identity. They got the right men, all right. 'Snap' Curry's confession
implicated them all."