The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-08-26
TWO MEN BURNED
At the Stake Near statesboro, Ca,
by Determined Mob.
THE MILITIA IS ovERPowERED

Auo ooAOicrb On DuCy with UniOaOeO
Guns Were Helpless In the
Hands OF the Crazed
Populace.
With clothing saturated with kero
sene, writhing and twisting In their
agony, screaming to heaven for the
mercy that the mob would not show,
Paul Reed and Will Cato, negroes, two
or the principals In the dastardly MUIR
der and burning Of Henry Hodges and
wife and three children six miles from
Statesboro, Ca, three weeks ago, were
burned at the stake on Tuesday, Aug.
10th.
That afternoon at 1.2l O'Clock de-
termined mob charged upon the court
house, Overpowered the military
guard, secured Cato and Reed. who
had been found guilty after legal
trial and sentenced to be hanged,
took them two miles from States
bOrO and there exacted the fearful
penalty.
The forenoon passed quietly, the
trial of Paul Reed, the ringleader in
the murder, being concluded and a
verdict of guilty rendered. Sentence
was imposed upon both him and Will
Cato, sentenced the day before, and
September 9 was fixed as the date for
the execution.
The crowd assembled about the
court house Tuesday. was not SO large
as Monday. Nor was itso threatning,
though, for that matter, there was
ne ger much parade about the crowd
that argued the worst and the deter
mination OF the countrymen who had
come In from miles around for the
trial was never to be doubted.
Up to the noon hour there was no
intimation that so soon was to be en-
acted the terrible climax. In the
trial of Reed little delay was caused
and upon Its conclusion the prisoners,
as before, were hustled into the wit
ness room where a strong guard Of
military was mounted over them.
THE AGITATION BEGINS.
In the corridors the agitation be-
gan. The spectators left the court
room and from the lawn outside many
entered the Railways. Shortly before
~ o'clock the crowd was addressed by
tall man who seemed to inhame 1t
greatly. He called on those a9out
him to follow him. Then Capt. Hitch
of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry,
who was in command of the forces,
3 realized that the situation was desper-
ate. He posted guards on each of the
SsstairWays that led to the floor above
.;sWhere the prisonersswer confined.
With fixed bay yonets but unloaded
Gsic1- guuTus . I'D. i iiSS mol,
aurged' toward them but ware repulsed
several times. The determined effort
was yet to be made. At the rear stair
way, the gravest danger threatened.
Prominent In the crowd was Rev. Mr..
Hodges, brother of the murdered man,
who sprang to the front to address its
members. He begged them to dis
perse.
Sheriff Kendrick was in the crowd.
He cautioned the crowd against sio
lence and pleaded with them to dis
perse. Il am your frien L." he said.
beg you to do nothing that will re
nect upon us as well as on the com
munity. Dlsperse and let the law
cake It's course. We need these men.
Ihere are Others to be Brought to JUS
tlce and only from the information to
be gained from Cato and Reel can we
Dr1ng the right ones to just ice. | can
almost promise you that hen the case
Is finally slfted there will be five par
Lies who are equally guilty"
THEIR FRIEND KENDRICh.
We know you are our friend, Ken
qrlck, some one shouted, but prom
ise us that you will let these men stay
in the Statesboro Jail and not be taken
back to Savannah. Then we will dis
perse, not until then"
There was shout and cheering and
Kendrick could not reply. Promise
ns that" they shouted, you will not
take them away from Statesboro" A
commotion TO the front drew the
crowd there. This was but temper
ary. Presently they were back at the
rear and some 20 men crowded around
the guards. Before they could be
prevented they had caught two OF the
guards, wlestled their weapons from
them and thrown open the breech
locks. The weapons were empty
That was what the crowd wanted to
ascertain. The troops had been given
orders not to load their riti IS.
The captured soldiers were held
prisoners. The same policy was fol-
lowed with others OF the soldiers.
Man after man, caught Isolated, was
relieved OF his rifle after struggle
at the front a member OF the mob
crept along the Wall until he got close
to the guards. He threw himself
upon them. In the breach thus
formed his companions threw them
selves. Two hundred wildly cheering
men followed him and soon the SOL
diers, though they Tough desperate
ly and inflicted bayonet wounds upon
some OF their assalants, were over
powered.
ONE FIGHTING SOLDIER.
One young soldier Of the Oslethorpe
Guards never surrendered. He fought
his way free, fought through his cap
tors and out upon the lawn. A weapon
was raised to strike him.
"Shame!' shouted the crowd and
struck down the man who had raised
the weapon. Then they threw them.
selves upon the boy and and overpow.
cred him.
The small guard about the prisoners
Withdrew into the room aud close d the
door. The mob crashed against it,
a..