The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-08-19
FAT
of Negro Grim
inaIs Horrible.
A Mob Burns Them
at the Stake.
MEN CONFESS
To Killing an Entire
Family
And Are Taken From Jail and
Put to Death in a Ter
ribIe Manner.

Special to the Daily Index.
Statesboro. Ca. Aug. 17.-With
clothing saturated with kerosene.
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 yesterday.
At 1:21 o'clock a determined mob
charged on the court house, overpow-
cred the military guard, secured Cato
and Reed, who had been found guilty
after legal trial. and sentenced to be
hanged, took them two miles from
Statesboro and there burned them
alive.
The forenoon had passed quietly,
the trial of Paul Reed, the ringleader
in the murder, being concluded and a
verdict of guilty rendered. Both he
and VIII Cato, found guilty the day
before, were sentenced to hang Sep
tember 9.
In the trial of Reed little delay had
prisoners were hustled into the wit
ness room, where a strong guard Of
military was mounted over them
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 q
man who called on those about him to
follow him. Then Capt Hitch, of the
Oglethorpe light infantry, realized
that the situation was desperate. He
posted guards on each of the stairways
that led to the floor above, where the
prisoners were confined. With fixed
bayonets, but unloaded rifles, the
guard stood. The mob surged toward
them, but were repulsed several
times.
At the rear stairway the grayest
danger threatened. Prominent men.
among them Rev. Hodges, brother Of
the murdered man, sprang to the front
and addressed the crowd. They
begged 1t to disperse-
The crowd caught two of the
guards, wrested their weapons from
them and found 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
followed with others of the soldiers.
Man after man was relieved of his
rifle and soon the soldiers, though
they fought desperately and inflicted
bayonet wounds upon some OF their
assailants, were overpowered-
The small guard about the prisoners
withdrew into the room and closed the
door. The mob crashed against II,
bursting 1t as though il were an egg
shell. The prisoners were at their
mercy. Cato, Reed. Handy Bell and
the other prisoners covered before the
crowd, which dragged Cato and Reed
out, releasing Bell into hands of the
| learned he was not Reed, for whom
| they had mistaken him.
Reed was taken down one stairway
with a rope about his neck and Cato
down the other, both pleading for
| their lives. The doomed men were
dragged along the road leading to the
Hodges homestead. where the family
had been murdered.
The heat was so intense that the
crowd wearied when two miles of the
six-mile route had been traversed
Going 75 yards from the road the
| crowd halted. The two negroes were
made to sit on log. They were told
| that they had but short time to live
and that they should confess.
Reed confessed, duplicating otheI
negroes. He denied, however, that he
had taken an active part in the mur
der. Cato answered incoherently.
To a stump II feet high the mer
were chained with their backs to the
stump. Then a wagon load of pine
wood was hauled to the spot. 1t was
piled around the men and ten gallon.
of kerosene were thrown over them
A photographer was present and the
crowd moved back that he might ge
several views of the men bound to the
stake and ready for the burning. TheI
followed an awful scene.
AS the flames touched Reeds Skin
he twisted his head around in an en-
deavor to choke himself and avoid tn,
torture. Only once did he complain
He said: Lord, have mercy"
Cato screamed in agony and begget
that he be shot. AS soon as 1t wal
seen that the men were dead tn.
crowd commenced dispensing. A larg,
number remained behind, however
piling more fuel on until both bodiei
were burned except the trunks.