The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-08-26
TWO MEN BURNED
At the Stake Near statesboro, Ga,
by Determined Mob.
TIE MILITIA Is OvERPowERED.
The Soldiers on Duty With Unioaded
Guns Were Helpless In the
Hands of the Crazed
PODulace

Populace.
With clothing saturated with kero.
sene, writhing and twisting In their
agony, screaming to heaven for the
mercy that the mob would not show,
Paul Reed and VIII Cato, negroes, two
OF the principals in the dastardly MUIR
DER and burning Of Henry Hodges and
Vile and three children six miles from
Statesboro, Ga, three weeks ago, We. :
burned at the stake on Tuesday, Aug.
10th.
That afternoon at l.2l O'Clock de-
termined mob charged upon the court
mouse, overpoWered the military
guard, secured Cato and Reed, who
mad been found guilty after legal
Trial and sentenced to be hanged,
TOOK them two miles from States
Doro and there exacted the fearful
penalty.
The forenoon passed quietly, the
trial OF Paul Reed, the ringleader In
the murder, being concluded and q
verdict OF guilty rendered. Sentence
was imposed upon both him and viii
cato, sentenced the day before, and
september was fixed as the date for
the execution.
The crowd assembled about the
court house Tuesday was not so large
as monday. Nor was itso threatning,
though, for that matter, there was
never much parade about the crowd
that argued the worst and the deter
mination Of the countrymen who had
come In from miles around for the
trial was never to be doubted.
un to the noon hour there was &c
intimation that so soon was to be en-
acted the terrible climax In the
trial Of Reed little delay was caused
and upon Its conclusion the prisoners,
as before, were hustled into the wit
ness room where a strong guard Of
military was mounted over them.
THE AGITATION BEGINS.
In the corridors the agitation be-
sgan. The spectators left the court
room and from the lawn outside many
entered the Railways. Shortly before
e o'clock the crowd was addressed by
a tall man who seemed to inflame 1t
greatly. He called on those ABOUT
him to follow him. Then Capt. Hitch
Of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry,
who was in command of the forces,
S realized that the situation was desper-
! ate. He posted guards on each Of the
4 S.stairways that led to the floor above
where the prisoners were confined.
ith fixed bay Yonets but nnloaded
77sssss2 q G,lcs5Su SuuIu5 . ND. Iu6 lob
surged toward them but were repulsed
several times. The determined effort
was yet to be made. At the rear sta
way the grayest danger threatened.
prominent In the crowd was Rev. Mr..
hodges, brother Of the murdered man,
who sprang to the front to address It's
members. He begged them to dis
perse.
Sheriff Kendrlck was In the crowd
He cautioned the crowd against VIC.
lence and pleaded with them to dis.
Perse. i am your frienl," he said.
beg you to do n ,thing that will re-
nec6 upon us as well as on the com
munity. DIsperse and let the law
lake Its course. We need these men.
Ihere are Others to be Brought to jus.
Lice and only from the information to
be gained from Cato and Reel can we
brlng the right ones to justice. | can
almost promise you that hen the case
Is finally sifted there will be we par
Ties who are equally guilty"
THEIR FRIEND KENDRICh.
we know you are our friend, Ken
drlck," sUme one shouted, but prom
tse Us that you will let these men stay
In the Statesboro jail and not be taken
back to Savannah. Then we will dis
perse, not until theu."
There was shout and cheering and
Kendrick could not reply. Promise
us that" they shouted, you will not
take them away from Statesboro" A
commotiOn TO the front drew the
crowd there. This was but temper
airy. Presently they were back at the
rear and some 20 men crowded around
the guards. Before they could be
prevented they had caught two or the
guards, WIestled 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 rli .s.
The captured soldiers were held
prisoners. The same policy was fol-
lowed with others OF the soldiers.
Man after man, caught Isolated, was
relieved Of his rifle after struggle.
at the front member OF the mob
crept along the Wall until he got close
to the guards. He threw himself
upon them. In Ghe breach thus
formed his companions threw them.
selves. Two hundred wildly cheering
men followed him and soon the sol.
diers, though they Tough desperate.
ly and inflicted bayonet wounds upon
some OF their assailants, were over.
powered.
ONE FIGHTING SOLDIER.
One young soldier of the Oslethorpe
Guards never surrendered. He fought
bis way free, fought through his cap.
tors and out upon the lawn. A weapon
was raised to strike him.
"Shame" shouted the crowd and
struck down the man who had raised
the weapon. Then they threw them.
selves upon the boy and and overpow-
cred him.
The small guard about the prisoners
withdrew into the room and close q the
door. The mob crashed against 1t,
bursting 1t as though 1t were an egg
shell. The prisoners were at their
mercy, all resistance having been
beaten down. Cato, Reed, Handy, Bell
and other prisoners covered before the
crowd They dragged Cato and Reed