Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-08-26
BURNED AT stare
IN GEORGIA
Two Negro Murderers Taken
From Militiamen by Mob
and Cremated.
SENTENCED TO BE HUNG
This Method Was Too Easy for the
Crowd Anxious for Quick Justice
Prisoners Covered With
Oil and Wood.

SfateSboro, ia, Aug. lS-W1th CLOTH
Ing saturated with kerosene. writing
ana twisting in their agony, scream
ing to heaven for the mercy that the
mob would not show, Paul Reed and
VIII Cato, negroes, VIZ of the princi-
pals in the murders and burning OF
Henry Hodges and family, six miles
from St~atesboro three weeks ago, were
burned at the stake.
A determined mob charged on the
court house. overpowered the militia
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 trial of Paul Reed. the ringIead-
err in the murder, being concluded. and
a verdict of guilty rendered, both he
and Will Cato, found guilty the day be-
fore, We're sentenced to hang Septem-
Der 9.
In the trial of Reed little delay had
been caused, and on its conclusion the
prisoners, as before. were hustled into
the witness room. where a strong guard
OF military was mounted over them.
When Agitation Began.
In the corridors the agitation began.
The spectators left the court room. and
from the lawn outside many entered
the HdiIMdJS. CioItty Tic IIOW0 Wdo
addressed by a tall man who seemed to
inflame it greatly. He called on those
abou him to follow him. Then Cap
tain Hitch Of the O~glethorpe Light i'm
fantry, who was In command OF the
military forces, realized that the situ-
alton was desperate. He posted guards
on each of the stairways that led to
the iioor above. where the prisoners
were confined. With fixed bayonets,
lx.f .xl~a1AI {GAoH the q ~ ~4a CfnAd
The mob sufged toward them, but was
repulsed several times. h determined
effort was yet TO be made.
At the rear stairway the gTavest dam
ger threatened. Prominent men, among
them the Rev. Mr.. Hodges, brother of
the murdered man, sprang to the front
to address the crowd. They begged
them to dispense. Sheriff Kindrick was
among these. He cautioned the crowd
against violence and pleaded with them
to leave. declaring that five more men
were equally guilty with Cato and
Reed, but that only by information to
be 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 to do.
Guns Were Not Loaded.
Suddenly some twenty-five men
crowded around the guards. Before
they could be prevented they had
caught two OF the guards, wrested their
weapon from them and thrown open
the b~reechlocks. The weapons were
empty That was what the crowd
wanted to ascertain. The troops had
been given orders not to load their
rifles. 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 a struggle.
The small garrison OF troops with
drew into the room and closed the door.
The mob crashed against II. The pris-
ouers were then at their mercy. cato,
Reed, Handy Bell and the other prts-
oners covered before the crowd They
dragged Cato and Reed out. Reed was
taken down one stairway with a rope
about his neck and Cato down the 9TH
er, both pleading for their lives. BY
this time the crowd numbered 500 per-
sons The doomed men We're dragged,
the crowd shouting and cheering, along
the roadway leading to the Hodges
homestead, where the five members OF
the family had been murdered and
burned. This was their destination.
The heat was SO intense thatAfha
crowd wearied when two miles OF the
six mile route had been traversed. Go
ing seventy-nye yards from the road
they halted. The two negroes were
told they had but a short time to live
and that they should confess. Reed
confessed, duplicating other negroes,
as he had in he court room. He de-
MED, however, that he had taken an
active part in the murder. Cato an
swered incoherently.
The crowd moved across q field to a
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, twelve feet high. 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 ten gallons of kerosene
was thrown over them.
photographer Present.
A photographer was present and the
crowd was cleared back that he might
get views OF the men bound to the
stake and ready for the burning. Just
as the match was applied to the pyre
one OF those in front asked Reed liz he
wanted to tell the truth before he died.
Yes, sir. / killed Mr. and Mrs.
Hodges he replied. Who killed the
children he was asked. Handy BeH,"
came the response as the flames leaped
upwards and further questioning was
impossible in the Wild tumult.
The scene was ITfEUtAul. AS the
flames touched Reeds naked, oil soaked
skin he twisted his head around in an
endeavor TO choke himself and avoid
the fearful torture. Only once did he
complain. He said: Lord. have
mercy"
Cato screamed in agony and begged
that he be shot. His heavy hair, which
was oil soaked, was almost the first
thing the flames fastened on, while the
hemp rope becc ne q collar OF fire
around his neck. For only about three
minutes was he visible to the crowd be-
fore the great pile OF faggots made a
wall of flames which the wind wiped
around on Cato's body and hid him
from view. Before the flames prog
ressed very far up his body his head
sank forward. Apparently the fire got
into his lungs and killed him.
AS soon as 1t was seen that the men
were dead the crowd commenced dis
persing. A large number remained be-
hind, however. piling more U on until
the bodies were burned except the