The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-08-04
TWENTY ARRESTED
Many Negroes Held for Muir
der of Hodges { ami|y.
CRIME IS LAID TO TWO
Perpetrators Of Horrible Rutehery Be-
lno Drawn Into Meshes OF the
Law-Startling Comes
sions Made.

SlSnS "dSSs
The coroner's jury investigating :he
killing of the Hodges family near
statesooro, Ca, met Saturday evening
and adjourned over until Tuesday.
Twenty negroes have been arrested
and are now in Jail, but the evidence
in hand at this time only implicates
! two Of them, Paul Reed and Will Cato.
The wife of Paul Reed has made a
statement in which she says her hus'
band AMI Will Cato are the guilty par
ties and that early last Thursday even
ing, Just after dark, they went over
to Henry R. Hodges house and killed
the entire family to get money that
, Mr.. H:,dges was supposed to have and
that they then came back and Sot
some matches and returned and set
the house on fire after putting Hodges
body in the house so that the entire
family could be burned. She has
made this confession freely and vol
unfairly.
Acting on the request of the sherih
and ordinary of Bulloch county, Gov
ernor Terrell ct an early hour Sailr-
day nl;.ht ordered out company A.
First regiment, at Statesboro, fer The
purpose of protecting the prisoners.
Shortly after the troops were in pos
session OF the prison, the governor
was notified that everything was quiet
! and is more trouble expected. Lafer
the situation changed. The sheriff OF
Bulloch county stated over the long
distance phone that he did not think
it possible for the two negroes to re-
main in Statesboro over night without
danger OF mob violence, in spite Of The
! assurances of prominent citizens that
no trouble need be feared. Acting on
this information and deeming the IT
;1ation exceedingly grave, Governor
| Terrell authorized the county authori'
ties to charter a special train and con-
yey the two men to Savannah for safe
| keeping.
| In Savannah Jail.
| A Savannah special says: With Cato
and PAM Reese. alleged murderers OF
the Hodges family near Statesboro, in
his custody, Sheriff J. q. Hendricks, OF
| Bulloch county, arrived in Savannah
Sunday morning and lodged his prison
ers in Chatham county Jail for safe
keeping,
He slipped the prisoners out OF the
State3boro Jail at o'clock Sunday
morning without even the military that
was guarding the Jail knowing of it.
Lieutenant Henry Briner. in command
of the Volunteer Guards, withdrew his
men from the rear Of the Jail for few
minutes at the sheriff's request, though
he did not then know the object Of the
movement. Hendricks slipped out
alone with his prisoners and walked
them for half a mile, then took bug
gy AMI drove to Brooklet, ten miles
! from Statesbo-o, where the traip vas
caught.
Both negroes admit kat they knew
! the crime was going to be committed
before It took place, but neither CT
them acknowledges that he took part
in it. Reese admits starting to
Hodges home with two other negroes,
John Hall and Sank Tolbert, for the
purpose of robbery, but claims he was
frightened when Hodges appeared and
ran. -
Asked which one Of the men killed
Hodges. he replied at once that Hall
did. when asked how he knew this,
if he hed run away as claimed. he grew
sullen and refused to talk further.
! There are stains on Reese's pants
which look like blood stains, but The
man denies that they are. Cato den!es
havin, teen in the party at all.
He says Reese asked him to 60. t H.
Ing him they could get money, though
they ln:ght have some trouble. Reese
corroborates Cato's statement. Cato
admitted going to Reese's house ea:ly
on the night Of the crime, but CLAIMS
to have gone back home early. Sheriff
Kendlick says C2to's wife does not
corrooorate this. The sheriff, how.
ever, relieves that both Cato and
Reese were there. and he does rot
think Hal. and Tolbert were, though
he states he has not yet gotten to the
| bottom Of the case.
He hcs eighteen prisoners in Jail at
Statesbcro in connection With the case
besides two in Savannah. Rebb.ry
was undoubtedly the motive Of the
murder. Sheriff Hendricks position in
the case is peculiar one. His brother
married sister of Hodges and he and
Hodges were the closest Of friends.
MDe mAvRpIcK IN cHI ApcE