The Morris County chronicle., 1904-08-23
NEGROES BURNED At STAKE
Court Had lust Convicted Both
Men Of Murder.
MlLITIAON GUARD OVERPOWERED

Over Victims In Vengeance For the
Murder Of fthe Hodges Family Brother
Of Murdered Man Pleads in Vain.
Photographer Takes Pictures.
Statesboro. Ga. with ropes tight
around their necks and their arms
bound with thongs cutting the flesh,
Paul Reed and Will Cato, two of the
gang of negroes that murdered Henry
Hodges, his wife and three children
three weeks ago, were dragged from
the Court House here and burned at
the stake. The negroes had been sem
fenced to be hanged before the mob
charged the Court House, overcame a
guard of militia with bayonets fixed.
broke down the doors to the cells and
pulled forth the two covering
Wretches, crying piteously for mercy.
Dragged to spot that was quickly
prepared for the execution, Reed and
Cato were soaked in ten gallons Of
kerosene and set afire. Fag0ts
cracked around their legs. and shrek
ing oaths and prayers alternately, the
two men went to their death. Their
bodies were burned to ashes. and when
the mob saw that it's work had been
completed the last smoldering stick
was kicked back, and the ashes of the
negroes were scattered by rakes.
There was portent of evil doings in
the silence that rested over Statesboro
in the morning Not word of violence
was heard in the streets, the crowd
that had hung around the Court House.
whispering vengeance at former ses-
si0ns of the trial was strangely miss
ing. Only few men were to be seen
near the Court House, and these,
stretching In q thin line around the
building. convinced the authorities that
watch was kept against the prisoners
being spirited away. About IL O'clock
Reed and Cato were sentenced to be
hanged on September g.. The sentences
were pronounced In the presence OF
only few spectators. who the moment
the last word was spoken slipped out
Of the court room and ran to barn
far down the street, where it has been
learned the mob met to await the mo-
ment for action.
AT a meeting the night before every
plan was made for the lynching, and
the minute the men ran into the barn
from the court room the mob rushed
into the street on the way to the Court
House. Four militiamen were on the
steps of the Court House, and these
tried to stem the progress Of the crowd.
The soldiers were stationed on the
two stairways leading to the second
floor, where the prisoners were locked
up and two lines were drawn across
the two wide inner entrances to the
building. A few men were at the top
of the stairways, and outside the cells
of the negroes stood the regular Jail
guards.
Standing with his head uncovered
the Rev. Mr. Hodges brother Of the
murdered man, asked the lynchers to
await the sure destiny Of the law.
When the last miIitiaman had been
overcome the foremost in the crowd
hurled themselves against a heavy
wooden door and smashed it into
pieces. Then on into the cellroom went
the mob, brushing aside the guards and
quickly opening the doors of the cells
in which Reed and Cato were confined.
Reed was taken down one stairway,
with rope about his neck, and Cato
down the other, both pleading for their
lives.
BY this time the crowd numbered
500 persons. The doomed men were
dragged. the crowd shouting and cheer
ing, toward the Hodges home. where
the FIVE members of the family had
been murdered and burned.
The crowd moved across a field to a
strip of woodland. Several men
climbed trees and called for ropes.
Burn them.' Burn themv' shouted
the crowd.
A member of the mob made speech,
recounting the horrors Of the crime.
This infiamed the crowd to the burning
pitch. The men were chained with
their backs to stump twelve feet
high. Then a wagon load Of pine wood
was hauled to the place and piled
around the men and ten gallons Of kerr
0sene was thrown over them.
A photographer was present, and the
crowd was driven back that he might
get several views of the men bound to
the stake and ready for the burning.
The match was then applied, the two
victims dying in agony.