The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-31

groes were arrested to-day charged
with the murder of Henry Hodges and
his entire family, Thursday night.
They are Paul Reese, Team Jackson,
George Brown, Handy Bell, Lloyd and
Willie Donaldson, Layer Elliott, Frank
BOYD. Walter Parrish, Dave Lowell,
Jeff Spells and Will Cato. Never be-
fore have the people been so excited,
and there is no telling what will hap
pen. Two of the negroes, Reese and
Cato, under arrest, will be taken to
Savannah for safe keeping.
The day has been one Of develop
ments. The country has been search
ed by a posse for the murderers. Mr..
George Deals dogs trailed two men
across the cane fields to Fishtrap
bridge, on Lofts creek, where there
was a school closing picnic, and there
the trail was lost.
1t seems certain, however, that one
of the murderers has been arrested.
Reported to Have Confessed.
Reese's wife, it is said, has made
confession. She is reported to have
said that her husband and Will Cato
were principals in the crime. Cato is
mulatto about 25 years old. He
told Paul Reese, the latter's wife says,
that Hodges had $500 buried in an old
iron kettle behind a small chicken
house. Last Saturday night Reese,
Cato and Handy Bell, the negro crop
IN
the money, but Hodges found them
out They told Hodges that some one
had been snake bitten and they wanted
to get some turpentine. Then the ne
groes declared they would have the
money if they had to kill the whole
family One of them said that would
not do, as it would be found out. 'Oh,
we will burn the house down." said
another
borrowed Hodges Gun.
The same morning Handy Bell had
borrowed Hodges gun to shoot birds
that were eating his corn, and the gun
had not been returned when the, crime
was committed. Cato admits that he
went to Hodges house Saturday night
but said he went up to the gate and
asked for the turpentine.
Reese's wife said her husband told
her about 8 o'clock that he had helped
commit an awful crime and that If
she told it he would kill her. He got
some matches, went away with Cato
and was gone until late in the night.
By the unmistakajble signs about the
scene of the crime Mr.. Hodges had
returned from the house of a neigh
Dor, Mr. Isaac Atkins, with his little
daughter, had put up his horse and
buggy, attended to the cows in a pen
Just back of the house lot and after
this had gone down the road little
way, either decoyed by the robbers
or in search of more cattle. A large
stone was found in the road, picked up
from beside a tree. There were signs
OF scuffie and it is believed Hodges
was Drained with the stone; that he
then ran towards the house, but was
overtaken by two men at the corner
OF the yard fence and killed.
Fence Smeared with Blood.
The fence was smeared with blood
as if made by a falling person, and
pools Of blood were found on the
ground.
Mrs. Hodges was tracked to the gate.
where she had placed a large lamp on
me nost and had gone into the yard
nearly opposite the blood stains. She
door steps. On each side of the point
Where she left the fence, were finger
marks of two men and tracks of two
men ran along on each side of Mrs.
hodges tracks leading to the door
step.
One set of tracks was made by mis-
matched shoes, one being broad-toed
ana the other sharp pointed. This
morning a pair of shoes of this de-
scrlption that fitted the tracks was
found by the side of log near the
road
Recognized Mrs. Hodges Hair.
One of them was blood-stained and
HaVing tar on the heel hair was found
IN H. which Mr.. Jernigan. the father
OF Mrs. Hodges, recognized as his
uaughters hair. One shoe was lace
ana the other a gaiter. The laced shoe
had cloth string. The shoes were
lHken to Mr.. Pleas Brannen, who rec
oenized them as being one each of two
pairs he had sold to a negro, Paul
reese. The negros house was search
20 ana the mates to the shoes were
round strung up In the same manner
az the pair found in the woods with
nlood and hair on them. A piece Of
Goth, which matched the string. was
.pund, and the negros wife had dress
'nat matched the string also.
Coroner's Tnquest.
The eoroner's inquest begun yester-
ssy and which was 70 have been con-
sluoed here this afternoon has been
postponed until Tuesday morning.
ne coroner and Jury assembled At