The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-08-17
Were Guarded by the Military but
lnfuriated Crowd Overpow.
cred the Guard.
CRIED IN VAIN FOR MERCY
The Two Segros Had Been Con.
,icted aud Sentenced to BE
Hung but Mob Would
Not Walt,

Sln,esboro. Ca. Aug. is--With
clothing saturated with Kerosene
writhing and twisting In their agony
screaming 10 heaven for the mercy the
mob would not show. Paul Reed and
VIII Cato negroes aud two OF the
principals la the murder and burning
OF Henry Hodges and wife and three
Of their children, six miles from States
boro three gssks ago, We're burned at
the stake today
This afternoon at I.20 O'clock the
mob charged on the court house, over
powered the military guard. secured
Cato and Reed, who had been found
guilty after legal trial. and were
sentenced TO he hanged, took them two
miles from Statesboro and there burned
them alive, Both had been found guilty
the day before, and were sentenced 10
hang September 2. The crowd as.
Hvmbled about the court house was not
as large - yesterday, Dor was II 80
threatening, though for that matter
there was never much parade. the
countrymen always being quiet.
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 strong guard
OF militia was mounted over them.
In the corridors an agitation began,
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 10 !nhame II greatly. He
called on those about him 20 follow
him. With nxed bayonets, but unload
ed rifles the guards stood. The mob
surged toward them, but were re-
pulsed several times.
overpowered the Guards.
Suddenly 25 men crowded around the
guards. Before they could be prevent
ed, they had caught two guards and
wrested their weapons from them The
captured soldiers were held prisoners.
The same policy followed with others
OF the soldiers. Man after man, caught
isolated, was relieved OF his rife after
a struggle.
The small guard about the prisoners
withdrew into room and closed the
door. The mob crashed against It. |
bursting II In easily, and Cato and |
Reed were dragged out. Reed was
taken down one stairway with a rope
about his neck. and Cato down the
other, both pleading for their lives BY
this time the crowd numbered 500 per-
sons. The doomed men were dragged
the crowd shouting and cheering. along
the roadway towards Hodges home-
stead.
The heat was 80 intense that the
crowd wearied when two miles Of the
six-mile route had been traversed Co
ing l5 yards from the road the crowd
halted. The two negroes were told
they had but short time to live and
they should confess. Reed partially
confessed, duplicating the other negro,
but, as he had done in the court room,
denied he had taken part. The mur-
derer Cato answered lncoherently.
The crowd moved across a field to
strip OF woodland. A member of the
mob made a speech, recounting the
horrors Of the crime. This infiamed the
crowd to the burning pitch. To a
large stump the men were chained
with their backs to the stump. Then
a wagonload Of pine wood was hauled
to the spot 1t was piled around the
men and 10 gallons Of kerosene was
over them.
Photographed the Scene.
A photographer was present; the
crowd cleared and he took several