Rockwall Co., TX - News: Texas Mob Wreaks Vengeance ***************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Holli Boone Kees USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************** Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Fort Wayne, Indiana 8 Mar 1909 Burned at The Stake Texas Mob Wreaks Horrible Vengeance on Negro Fiend Chained to Stake driven in the ground and burned to death in presence of Thousands—Man who harbored him killed. Rockwall, Tex. March 7 After having been identified by Mrs. Arthur McKinney as the negro who attempted a criminal assault upon her Friday morning Anderson Ellis was taken from the Rockwall county jail tonight and secured to an iron stake driven into the earthy, was burned to death in the presence of about a thousand persons. Earlier in the evening Will Clark, a negro, was shot and instantly killed when his father, Andrew Clark, refused permission to a posse to search his premises on the assumption that Ellis was concealed there. People were here from several towns, Dallas, Colin and Hunt, as well as Rockwall County, to witness the execution of the negro. Ellis admitted his guilt but refused to make a statement or to leave a farewell for his relatives. He did not utter a cry as the pile of cordwood, which had been well saturated with kerosene, was set afire, nor did he show loss of nerve as the flames cooked his flesh. He was dead within nine minutes after the torch had been applied. The burning occurred in the public square of this city. A Search and a Shooting At an early hour Friday morning Mrs. McKinney went into her back yard and seized by the Ellis negro, an employ of McKinney, who attempted to assault her. She fought desperately and the negro, running away, called that he would murder her should she reveal his attempted act. The alarm spread quickly and the entire section turned out, joining the authorities in the chase after the negro. The search continued through Friday and Saturday, when a posse today arrived at the farmhouse of Andrew Clark, a negro. Demand was made to search the premises on the supposition that the Negro Ellis was there in hiding. Upon refusal the inmates were commanded to surrender and two negros were observed to run from the rear of the house. Shots were fired at them and one of them, William Clark, a son of the negro farmer, was killed. Ellis Fired at Posse. The other negro, who now is known to be Ellis escaped. About 8 o’clock he was surrounded at a farmhouse three miles south of Caddo Mills. Ellis, armed, made a desperate resistance and emptied his weapon at the posse without effect before he was captured. During the fight with the posse Ellis was wounded twice. The negro was placed in the Rockwall county jail. When it became generally known that Ellis was in jail a determined crowd of men overpowered the jailor, secured his keys, unlocked the cell and brought the negro down. There was no rowdism. The negro was securely tied to an iron stake. Cordwood saturated with kerosene was piled about him and upon his refusal to make a statement beyond admitting his guilt, in the presence of Mrs. McKinney, who fully identified him as her assailant, the torch was applied. ---