The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-08-17
TIE HODGES MURDER
Planned by Society Of Negroes Or
ganiz d for Murder.

Planned by Society Of Negroes Or
ganiz d for Murder.
A dispatch from Statesboro, Ca,
says new light is about to be thrown
on the tragedy. ]. c. Deal, G. L.
Mikell and J. NJ. Fordham have just
returned from Savannah where they
went to see the two negroes charged
with the murder, viz, Paul Reid and
VIII Ca.oe. Catoe is said to be hold
ing up as well as could be expected,
but Reid is about to break down. He
told the gentlemen referred to above
good many things and promised to
make clean breast Of the whole
matter when they call on him again
for the purpose of obtaining if posi-
BILE, al the details Of the horrible
crime.
Wien first approached Reid refused
to talk. He stated that he had decided
to die with all he knew still concealed
in his breast, but the men who had
known him for years finally prevailed
on him to talk.
he said that there was e society
known as the Before Day Club
which held meetings In the neighbor-
hood; it was at a meeting OF this club
that the murder was Planned, that the
men to do the work We're selected in
this meeting, and that three other
men, viz /, T. L. Smith, A. J. Smith
and Miles L. Waters were selected as
the other three victims. The name
OF the club was made The Before
Day Club for the reason that it
meets after midnight and always ad-
j)urns before day.
Reid says that large numb2r OF
the negroes 10 that section belong to
the club. BE did not state why 1t
was that the other three men were
not k lied on this occasion. BE stated
that be knew his doom, and expressed
himself as being afraid to come back
here. BE stated that be feared even
his own race. He was trying to ~ Ike
peace with God, and if the men would
come back on Tuesday be would tell
them all he knew about it, and give
the names of all the parties who were
engaged in the com mission OF the,
| orr no or the n1anniGO nf IT.
Mr.. Miles Waters was in town
Thursday, and believes there is such
a club as the one that Rsid claims ez-,
lists here. He says that 1t met On
Sunday night near his house, and be.
does not relish the idea that his name
has been handed in as one Of the par
ties marked for slaughter. Other
parties who were in town from the.
section above here also believe that.
such club exists. They say that one
Of the meeting places Of the club is at
the Nichols gin house about ten miles
above here. They will meet at a late.
hour and hold secret sessions until
just before day, when they will quiet
ly slip away.
Messrs. Deal and the other gentle
men will 60 down to Savannah this
morning and will endeavor to get al
the facts possible from Red. Catee
will also be visited again. The two
uegroes have not seen each other since
they were locked in Chatham county
Jail. One is on the first flor OF the
jail and the other one on the third
h.or.
Handy B: Il, the negro who is said
to have had the gun, has never been
released from Jail, though he was not
ordered held by the coroner's jury.
Will Rainey, another negro implicated
oy Reid, has been arrested and placed
in Jail. -
Reid's statement will be looked for
with god deal Of interest and a good
deal depends on how he makes 1t, and
the reasonaolenes OF bis assertions as
to how it will be received. II he un-.
derstands as it seems that he does,
that he is doomed man, and that he
will neither profit nor gain by putting
others in the same plight as himself,
ne will probably break down and tell
the truth about it,. That is the rec
ord even Of the most abandoned crimi-
nails. When they see certain death
facing them, they then begin to make
peace with their maker as lastIs-
sort, and can then be depepaed upon
to tell the truth oeG5er than at any
other tipe-