Evening journal., 1904-08-17
TWO NEGROES
BURNED At STAKE
Georgia Lynchers Overpower
Militia Guarding Courthouse.
VICTIMS CONFESS THEIR GUILT

Tried, Convicted and Sentenced to BE
Hanged Dragged to Their Death by
infuriated Citizens at ststesboro, Ga.
Statesboro, Ca. Aug. 17.-with cloth
ing saturated with kerosene, writhing
and twisting in their agony, screaming
to heaven for the mercy that the mob
would not show, Paul Reed and VIII
Cato, negroes, two Of the principals
in the 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.
A determined mob charged on the
courthouse, Overpowered the military
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 climax
came quickly and Unexpectedly.
The trial of Paul Reed, tze ringlead-
er I'm the murder, had been concluded
and a verdict Of guilty rendered. Both
he and VIII Cato. found guilty the
day before, were sentenced to hang on
Sept. o.
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. In the corridors the agitation
began. The spectators left the court
room, and from the lawn outside many
entered the Railways. Captain Hitch
Of the Oglethorpe light infantry, who
was in command Of the forces, realized
that the situation was desperate. He
posted guards on each OF the stair
ways that led to the floor above, where
the prisoners were confined. with
fixed bayonets, but unloaded rifles, the
guards stood. The mob surged toward
them, but were repulsed several times.
Mob Deaf to Appeals.
At the rear stairway the gravest dan
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 disperse. Sheriff KendriclS
was among these. He cautioned the
crowd against violence and pleaded
with them to leave.
Then a commotion at the front
drew the crowd there. This was but
temporary. Presently they were back
at the rear, and some twenty-five men
crowded around the guards. Before
they could be prevented they had
caught two of the guards, wrested
their weapons from them and thrown
open the breech blocks. 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. Mar
after man, caught isolated, was reliev.
ed OF his rifle after a struggle
At the front member Of the moi
crept along the wall until he got close
to the guards. He threw himself upor
them. In the breach thus formed bis
companions threw themselves. Two
hundred wildly cheering men followed
him, and soon the soldiers, though they
fought desperately and inflicted bay
onet wounds upon some of their assail
ants, were overpowered.
The small guard about the prisoners
withdrew into the room and closed tn,
door. The mob crashed against It
bursting it as though it were an egg
l cbo1I Tho nrfooporc x..aro - tY,ot,
mercy, all resistance having been beat
en- down. Cato, Reed, Handy Bell an,
the other prisoners covered before tn,
crowd. They dragged Cato and Reel
out, releasing Bell into the hands o
the few soldiers left there as soon a.
they learned that he was not Reed, 70
whom they had mistaken him.
Reed was taken down one stairway
with a rope about his neck. and Cat
down the other, both pleading for thei
lives.
Chained to Stump and Burned.
BY this time the crowd numbered 30
persons. The doomed men wer
dragged along the roadway leading t
the Hodges homestead to a spot abou
two miles from town. Here they wer
chained to a large stump twelve fee
high. with their backs to the stumI
Then a wagon load of pine wood wa
hauled TO the spot. 1t was piled aroun
the men. and ten gallons OF kerosen
were thrown over them. A photogrl
pher was present, and the crowd wa
cleared back that he might get sewers
views Of the men bound to the staiS
and ready for the burning.
r Then followed an awful scene. Fref
zied cheers rent the air as men almos
crazed with the hatred OF the men bl
ing punished saw the cruel fame
drinking up the life blood. Just as th
match was applied to the pyre one {
those In front asked Reed II he wante
to tell the truth before he died.
Eyes, sir; I killed Mr.. and Mr.
Hodges" he replied.
"who killed the chlldren?" he wa
asked.
Handy Bell" came the response .
the flames lcaped upward, and furth'
questioning was impossible.
Cato and Reed before death confes
ed to the existence OF an organizatio
OF negroes in Bullock county whose ol
ject was TO burn and murder Il
whites.
Three weeks ago the Hodges famit
father. wife and three children, wei
murdered. their bodies thrown in the
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