The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-18
LAwLEssNEss SPREADS.
Country Districts Now the Scenes q
 Attacks on Blacks.

Country Districts Now the scenes of
 Attacks on Blacks.
 Statesboro, Ga. Aug. 17.--Business in
 Statesboro has resumed somewhat its
 normal state today. but the lawless-
 ness that prevailed within the town
 limits yesterday has pervaded the
 country districts and men are reported
 as roaming the country at large whip
 ping negroes wherever found who are
 thought to be in any way implicated
 by deed or word of mouth in the Before Day Club of organizer murderers. Me-
 groes are now reported sleeping in the
 woods, while from along the line of
 railroads come reports of many board
 ing trains for other points. The dan
 ger to the whites of Bulloch County
 now lies more fin the large deportation
 of labor, and consequent effect on the
 cotton picking season than from any
 other cause.
 Rowing bands of infiamed whites
 were out last night and during the early morning hours seeking vengeance
 on the negroes. and several serious affairs are reported as the result Say 1t Was Not Bell. One negro. said to be Handy Bell was reported shot to uieces, but par ties who know Bell viewed the remains
 and declared 1t was not Bell.
 Albert Roberts an old negro, living
 near Register. and his son, were shot while sitting peacefully in their cabin last night and seriously wounded. Rob. erts was a peaceful citizen and his white neighbors near Register are greatly incensed over the shooting. All night clubs, consisting mostly of white men. whose minds are infiamed. are reported organized in various sec- uons or the county for the purpose or whipping negroes. and these reports add to the general fear over the situa- ton.
 Rev. MT. stubbs. pastor of the Hard shell Baptist Church, with a number or members from among prominent citizens. has called a meeting of ths elders with the avowed intention os having expelled all members who uar. Reed. V K ''s'1 -'s' Tn explaining today why ffandy gei, | and the other prisoners were reieased
 after Reed and Cato implicated them
 in the Hodges murder. Sheriff Ken- | drick said: Statement by Kendr4cs. \ got my orders from the Judge and | turned them loose. as he stated that
 their testimony was not sufficient to | hold the witnesses"
 Sheriff Kendrick denies a report generally circulated that one of his | deputies assisted in overpowerfng the guards yesterday. Captain Hitch and
 others of the soldiers maintain it's
 truth in official reports.
 Latest accounts indicate that Handy Bell has escaped so far although he | was followed out of town last night.
 captured and only released after vow l ing. when the rope was placed around his neck, that he was innocent of the l crime. There seems to be no fear of pun-
 ishment in the minds of those wno participated in the burning of Reed and Cato as all connect 6ewith l. talk free-
 ly of their part.
 Judge Daley in a response to an in- quiry today stated that if the lvnchers
 were indicted they would certainly be tried but made no expression of his l intention of pushing the matter and
 local sentiment does not seem to fa-
 vor stirring the matter any further. | but on the other hand the ocnserva- | lives want the entire affair to- df- out
 as soon as possible. feeling that the community has suffered already from | the trouble.
 There does not seem to be any prob- ability of any further effort being made | to convict any other negroes with com plicity in the Hodges murder as with | out Reed and Cato 1t is considered practically impossible to secure suffi- cient evidence to convict.
 Sheriff Kendrick went to Oliver last night to bring back Lonnie Williams a negro suspected of compliciry in the Hodges murder, but Williams had been
 shot by a deputy while resisting ar- rest. Investigation proved that Will Hams was not the negro wanted.