The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-17
Are Taken From Guards After
Sentence Was Passed.
MILITIA is POWERLESS
Guns We're Not Loaded and the
Crowd Knew 1t.
Deputy Sheriffs Give Assistance
to the Lynchers.

AFTERNOON, ONerpOWereO the military
guards. secured Cato and Reed, who
had been found guilty of numbering the
Hodges family after legal trial and
sentenced to be hanged. took them two
miles from Statesboro and there burn
ed them alive. The climax came quick
1y and Unexpectedly. The forenoon had
been passed quietly. the trial of Paul
Reed. the ringleader. being concluded
and verdict of guilty rendered. Both
he and Will Cato. found guilty the day
before. were sentenced to hang on Sep
TENDER 9.
In the trial of Reed little delay had
been caused and on it's conclusion the
prisoners, as before, were hurried into
the witness room where a strong guard
of military was mounted over them.
In the corridors the agitation began.
The spectators left the court room and
from the lawn outside many entered
the Railways.
The crowd was addressed by a tall
man who seemed to inf1ame it greatly.
He called on those about him to follow
him. Then Captain Hitch, of the Ogle-
thorps light infantry who was in COM
mand of the forces. realized that the
situation had become desperate. He
posted guards OF each of the stairways
that led to the floor above where the
prisoners were confined. With fixed
bayonets but unloaded rifles the guards
but were repulsed several times. The
determined effort was yet to be made.
At the rear stairway the gravest
danger threatened. Prominent men,
brother of the murdered man, sprang
TO the front to address the crowd. They
begged its members to dispense Sheriff
Kendrick cautioned the crowd against
violence and pleaded with them to
leave, declaring that five more men
were equally guilty with Cato and
Reed. but that only by information to
be secured from the condemned men
could the others be convicted. The
crowd demanded that he promise not to
take the negroes back to Savannah.
This he declined to do. Suddenly TWEEN
6y-nVe men crowded around the guards.
Before they could be prevented they
had caught two of the guards, wrested
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
rifles The captured soldiers were held
lowed with others of the soldiers. Ev-
cry man caught isolated. was relieved
of his rifle after a struggle.
At the front member of the crowd |
crept along. the wall until he got close |
TO the guards. He threw himself upon
them In the breach thus formed his |
companions threw themselves. Two |
hundred wildly cheering men followed
fought desperately and inflicted bayon- |
ct wounds upon some of their asSail- /
ants were overpowered.
The small guard about the prisoners
withdrew into the room and closed the |
door The mob crashed against it, /
bursting it in easily. Cato. Reed, Han
dy Bell and the other prisoners COVER
ed before the crowd. Cato and Reed
alone were dragged out.
Reed was taken down one stairway
with rope about his neck and Cato
down the other, both pleading for their
lives.
BY this time the crowd numbered 500
persons The doomed men were drag
ged, the crowd shouting and cheering
along the roadway to the Hodges
The heat was so intense
that the crowd wearied when two miles
of the six mile route had been travers-
ed Going 10 yards from the road the
crowd halted: The two negroes were
told they had but a short time to live
and that they should confess
Reed confessed. duplicating other ne
groes as he had in the court room. He
denied. however, that ne had taken an
active part in the murder Cato an
swered incoherently.
The crowd moved across field to a
strip of woodland. A member of the
rors of the crime This infiamed the
crowd to the burning pitch. To a LARGE
stump II feet high the men were chain
ed with their backs to the stump. Then
to the spot 1t was piled around the
men and ten gallons of kerosene was
thrown over them.
A photographer was present and the
crowd was cleared back that he might
get several views Of the men bound 10
the stake and ready for the burning.
Just as the match was applied to the
pyre one of these in front asked Reed
il he wanted to tell the truth before
he died Yes, sir; I killed Mr.. and
Mrs. Hodges" he replied.
Who killed the children" he was
asked.
Handy Bell" came the response as
the flames leaped upwards. Further
questioning was impossible in the wild
,umult- The spectacle was frightful.
AS the flames touched Reeds naked oil
soaked skin he twisted his head around ;
N an endeavor to choke himself and
avoid the fearful torture. Only once
lid he complain. He said:
Lord, have mercy"
Cato screamed in agony and begged
hat he be shot His heavy suit of hair !
which was oilsoaked was almost the {
1rst thing the flames fastened on, while
he rope became a collar of fire around
lis neck. For only about three min I
ties was he visible to the crowd before
he great pile of fagots made a wall of
lame which the wind wrapped around
cato s body. hiding him from view Be :
ore the flames progressed very far his :
lead sank forward. Apparently the fire
lad reached his lungs and killed him.
IS soon as IL was seen the men were {
lead the crowd commenced dispensing. :
l large number remained behind how :
yer, piling more fuel on until both
'odies were burned except the trunks I
Deputy SheriTs Helped.
Atlanta. Ga, Aug. IA special to c
he Constitution from Savannah says: {
1t has developed here upon the re-
urn of the troops from Statesboro that !
he deputy sheriffs were in league with /
he lynchers. They aided them in oV- l
rpowering the soldiers.
Captain Robert H. Hitch. command S
1g the troops was seized by a stalwart
equity and hustled down the stairs and
Z