The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-08-26
FOR ASSAULT NEGRO
PAYS DEATH PENALTY
Riddled By Bullets and His
Body Cremated.
HIS VICTIM GIRL OF THIRTEEN
Georgia Mob st CeCartown Takes Sum.
mary Vengeance Upon the AssaiIanr
OF a Little Girl iJear that Place
cremsted at the Stake.


cremsted at the Stake.
CedartOwn. Ga, August 24.-The
orgy of lynching was enacted here
last night with all its revolving feat
ures.
jim Gloves. the negro who outraged
little Levia Reeves paid every penalty
for his crime known to revenge or
torture.
He was tied to a tree and shot al.
most to pieces and his riddled body,
dragged NAE from town to the CEN
ter of the city and burned to ashes
on the most conspicuous spot of Main
street, in the very heart of the city.
Fully $500 people witnessed his
death as best they could in the bright
moonlight and d mob OF crazed par.
Elephants whOoped and sang as the
body fried and crisped
The negro's victim was Levia, the
l3-year-Old daughter of Abner Reeves,
prominent farmer, who lives about
IL miles fror Cedartown
The crime was committed as the lit.
tie girl was carrying a cow to a pas.
ture about a quarter of a mile from
her home
The assault was a most fendish one,
and the wonder is that the little girl
escaped from the clutches of the negro
with her life. About thirty minutes
before the crime the negro passed the
house of Mg. Reeves, who had gone
early to a mill, and the dog in his
yard made atthe passing negro and
the little girl had restrained the ami.
maj. A few minutes later the girl
left with the COW for the pasture.
and was OTertaken by the negro at the
lot She started home, and the negro
followed her. both Fastening their
steps The negro asled her II her
mother had any eggs and butter
for sale. and tried to engage the girl
in conversation
Failing In this. he finally jumped at
her. selling her by the throat and
dragging her across the corner Of .
cotton field and into a dense corn
patch. He choked the helpless vic
tim into Instability. after throwing
her to the ground and accomplished
his awful deed. The negro left in a
hurry, and after regsining conscious
ness, the girl began to cry and scream,
and this attracted the attention Of her
mother, who ran to her little daughter
The scene that met her Mortified
gaze was heartrending. The girl
was almost unable to move, and her
hat lay several yards from the spot
where she lay. The ground showed
evidences Of a struggle and the weeds
and corn were mashed down. The
clothing of the child was bloody and
torn. Her neck was red and scratch
ed. as was her face, and in less than
ten minutes her throat was swollen
TO an enormous size. She was car.
ried to the house, and Drs. ]. A. Lid.
dell and w A. Chapman, two of &c
dartown's most prominent physicians,
were sent for.
The news was carried to the store
Of Van Devander Bros, where the
nearest telephone was reached, and
the report spread throughout the city
IN a few minutes.
Men mounted horses and seized bug.
gies and bicycles, and went to the
home of the crime. and within 80
minutes over 200 people were on the
ground offering their assistance and
Joining in the chase. The fields and
woods were secured, and a negro was
met by a few men coming to town
on the road. making his way west
TO the Alabama state line and the
mountains across the line. The men
had not heard Of the assault, and, Of
course, did not attempt to arrest the
fugitive.
Polk superior court would have as.
sembled this morning in fall session,
but the news of the outrage complete
Iy demoralized the court, and jurors
and witnesses Joined in the chase
without thinking Of court or anything
else. The people have never been
50 stirred by an incident in the history
Of the county.