Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-08-24
BURNED AT STAKE
Two Negroes Taken From the Jail
and Incinerated
AWFUL VENGEANCE OF GEORGIANS
Paul Reed and Will Cato, Convicted
of Completely in the Murder Of the
Hodges Family, Near statesboro,
Taken From the Military Guard and
Burned at the Stake.

Savannah, Ca, Special-With cloth:
ing saturated with kerosene, writh-
ing and twisting in their agony,
screaming to heaven for the mercy
that the mob would not show, Paul
Reed and Will Cato, negroes, two OF
the principals in the dastardly murder
and burning of Henry Hodges and
wife and three Of their children, six
miles from Statesboro, three weeks
ago, were burned at the stake Tues
day.
This afternoon at 1.21 o'clock
determined mob charged upon the
court house, overpowered the mill
tary guard, secured Cato and Reed,
who had been found guilty after le-
gal trial and sentenced to be hanged,
took them two miles from Statesboro
and there exacted the fearful penalty
The forenoon passed quietly, the
trial of Paul Reed, the ring-leader IN
the murder, being concluded and a.
verdict rendered. Sentence was I'M
posed upon both him and Will Cato.
sentenced the day before, and Septem.
ber 9 was fixed as the date for the
execution.
The crowd assembled about the
court house was not so large as Mon.
day. Nor was it so threatening,
though for that matter, there was
| never much parade. There was
quiet about the crowd that augured
the worst and the object Of the coun.
trymen who had come in from miles
around for the trial was never to be
| doubted.
Up to the noon hour there was no
intimation that so soon was to be
enacted the terrible climax. In the
trial of Reed little delay was caused,
and at its conclusion, as before, the
prisoners were hustled into the wit
ness room, where strong guard OF
military was mounted over them. IN
the corridors the agitation began.
The spectators left the court room
and from the lawn outside many en-
tered the Railways Shortly before 1
o'clock the crowd was addressed by
tall man, VINO seemed to inf1ame 1t
greatly. He called on those about
him to follow him. Then Captain
Hitch, of the Oglethorpe Light Infan.
try, who was in command of the
forces, realized that the situation was
desperate. He posted guards on each
of the stairways that led to the floor
above, where the prisoners were con-
fined.
GUARDS HAD UNLC DED GUNS.
With fixed bayonets ,ut unloaded
rifles, the guards sto The mob
surged toward them, were re.
pulsed several times. deternin.
ed effort was yet to be lie. At the
rear stairway the gra it danger
threatened Prominent Elan, among
them Rev. Mr.. Hodges, brother Of the
murdered man, spreng to the front
to address the crowd. They begged
them to disperse. Sheriff Kendrick
was among these. He cautioned the
crowd against violence and pleaded
with them to disperse.. Il am your
friend" he said. "I beg you to do
nothing that will reflect on us and on
the community. Disperse and let the
law take it's course. We need these
men. There are others to be brought
to justice and only from the informa'
tion to be gained from Cato and
Reed can we bring the right ones to
justice. 1 can almost promise that
when the case Is finally sifted there
will be five parties who are equally
guilty."
"We know you are our friend, Ken.
drick," some one shouted, "but prom
ise us that you will let these men
stay in the Statesboro Jail and not be
taken back to Savannah. Then we
will dispense, not until then"
There was shouting and cheering
and Kendrick could not reply.
Promise us that" they shouted.
"You shall not take them away from
Statesboro."
The crowd surged upon the jail
and took the prisoners from the Off
GERS. A confession was made by
Reed, who acknowledged killing the
father and mother and implicated
three Others
The cries of Cato were pitiful, as
he begged the mob to shoot him. me
mob dispersed quietly after their ter
rible act.