The San Francisco call., 1904-08-17
MOB BURNS
NEGROES At
The STAKE.
Murder Of Hodge
Family Horribly
Avenged.
Two Confessed ASSaSSinS
WreSted From a Mill
tSTy Guard.
their Clothing Saturated With KerO-
NJ. H-A.l L l--l.I
Their Clothing Saturated With KerO-
seDe Before Match Is Applied
to the Pyre.

EAA4EEbOEAAs 3D. aug " IN
clothing saturated with kerosene,
writhing and twisting in their agony,
screaming TO heaven for the mercy
that the mob would not show, Paul
Reed and VIII Cato, negroes, tive Of
the principals in the murder and burn
ing Of Henry Hodges, his wife and
7hree Of their children. six miles from
Statesboro, three weeks ago, were
burned at the stake to-day.
This afternoon at 1:20 o'clock a mob
charged on the courthouse. overpow-
cred the military guard, secured Cato
and Reed, who had been found guilty
after a legal trial and sentenced to be
hanged, took them two miles from
Statesboro and there burned them
alive.
The climax came quickly and unex-
pectedlT The forenoon had been passed
QWetl5s lhe tual 81 Paul Reed, the
ringleaOer, being concluded and a YER
Cict Of guilty rendered Both he and
VIII Cato, found guilty yesterday. were
sentenced TO be hanged on September
- The crowd about the courthouse
was not as large as yesterday. nor was
il so threatening, though for that mat
ter there was never much parade. the
courtry-men always being quiet.
In the trial Of Reed little delay had
been caused and on its conclusion the
prisoners, as before, were hurried into
the witness room, where a strong mill
tary guard was placed over them.
VAIN APPEALS TO MOB.
In the corridors the agitation began
The spectators left the courtroom and
from the lawn outside many entered
the Railways. Shortly before 1 O'Clock
the crowd was addressed by a tall
man, who seemed TO inuame it greatly
he called upon those about him TO fol-
low him.
Then Captain Hitch. Of the Ogle-
thorpe Light Infantry, who was in COM
mand Of the forces, realized that the
situation had become desperate. He
posted guards on each Of the stair
ways that led TO the floor above, where
the prisoners were congregated. With
liked bayonets, but Unloaded rifles, the
guards stood. TIE mob surged toward
them. but was repulsed several times
The determined effort was yet to be
made
At the rear stairway the greatest
danger threatened. Prominent men,
among them the Rev Mr.. Hodges.
brother Of the murdered man, sprang
TO the front to address the crowd. He
begged its members TO disperse. Sheriff
Kendrick cautioned the crowd against
violence and pleaded with it TO leave.
declaring that five more men were
equally guilty with Cato and Reed but
that only by Information 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
70 DO.
. Suddenly twenty-five 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.
GUARDS ARE OVERPOWERED
That was what the crowd wanted To
ascertain. The troops had been given
orders not 10 load their rifles The
captured soldiers were held prisoners
The same policy was followed with the
other soldiers. Man after man. caught
ISOLATED, was relieved Of his rifle after
g struggle.
At the front a member Of the crowd
crept along the wall until he got close
10 the guards He threw himself upon
them Into the breach thus formed his
companions threw themselves Two
hundred wildly cheering men followed
and soon the soldiers, though they
fought desperately and inflicted bayo-
net 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 II.
bursting II easily Cato. Reed, Handy
Bell and the other prisoners covered
before the crowd. Cato and Reed alone
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.
MAKES A LAST CONFESSION.
BY this time the crowd numbered
500 persons. The doomed men were
dragged, the crowd shouting and cheer
ins, along the roadway to the Hodges
homestead. The heat was so intense
that the crowd wearied when two miles
Of the six-mile route had been ira
versed. Going seventy-five yards from
the road. the crowd halted The two
negroes were told they had but a short
time 70 live am that they should con-
Tess.
Reed confessed, duplicating other ne
EroeE, as he had In the courtroom. He