The Washington times., 1904-08-17

/ Reed responded to the tauuJs Of the
mob, ana started a confession OF the
crime. As he talked some members Of
/ the mob. who had secured the bib of
| little Kitty Hodges. the SeVen-year-old
girl that had been murdered. fixed it on
a stick. and waved il in the faces OF
I the condemned men
Bib Infuriates Mob.
] As the significance Of the bib became
I known TO the mob many demanded that
the work be finished at once To this
/ the others refused 70 listen. and the
march was continued. AT another time.
when Reed IN his confession told how
| litle Kitty who had hidden from the
murderers, had era wIed ont from be
| hind trunk and offered them . cents
| moi to kill her, adding that il was all
| the money she had or she would give
them more, tie fury Of the mob was
almost uncontrollabl bic.
Reed seemed To have forgotten his
surroundings ana despite the threaten
/ ings Of the mob continued his narrative
! in sing-song manner as nc trudged
along the sandy road Again did the
/ fury Of the men who were near enough
/ TO hear his words seem to pass beyond
/ the point Of endurance when in reply IS
; TO whether the negroes had killed the
/ babies or not before setting fire 20 the
/ house. Reed responded that they had
not.
One Offers Prayer
Cato all the while trudged along in sill
ence. Finally the narrative was finish
/ ed and some one suggested that the he
groes had better be allowed to pray. \
I stop was made for this purpose and one
! Of the crowd volunteered To pray He
made a short prayer for the men and
| then the negroes were told to pray.
Cato remained erect with head down
and seemed to humble a prayer. Reed
0 . -.
I face downward. and with arms stretch
ed above his head. rolled I'm a frenzy
/ OF emotion. His prayer was long and
was heard away back in the crowd.
Some one in the crowd was delegated To
/ take in writing some parts of Reeds
statements duplicating others In the
! crime. At the same time some one
/ brought a camera &c rward and was al
I lowed to take picture Of the negroes,
/ VINO stood for the purpose, with the
/ crowd as a background. After the pic
! lures had been taken il was thought
/ the better part Of prudence by tho mob
not TO allow these 10 be kept. and the
/ camera was destroyed with the plates.
/ Chained to a Stump.
Finally the march TO the stake was
/ taken up. The place had already been
prepared. It was fat lightwood stump
| about seven feet high. Through the
] stump. at the height Of the negroes
] lifthN Il llOlt llau Dtell DDItu- 1 his was
/ for the purpose Of securing them by the
necks TO the stake. After this had been
| fixed a stout chain was passed about
! their bodies and wrapped around the
/ tree. The ends were then locked with
stout locks. Fat lightwood knots. brush
wood and splinters were then piled waist
high about the negroes. who stood tied
: to the stump with elbows touching.
/ This done. man mounted the top Of
/ the stump and cans Of kerosene were
\ IGn a I'm pro- sTlln HUHl 40 A.
/ gallons were poured over them I'm lib
| eral quantities and they were ready for
| the fire Without pause all these prep
J aratiOnS had gone on. As they were
finished a man stepped forward and ap-
piled the match. The flames rose over
| the negroes and they uttered a stimuli
/ taneOus groan.
/ Reed Dies Bravely.
! Reed seemed to bear the torture with
| fOrtitude and died quickly. Within three
minutes he had ceased TO utter sounds,
and the only sign Of life was The convul-
sive bending Of the left arm at the
! elbow. This soon ceased and he burned
/ 10 crisp.
/ Cato seemed to die harder. Long after
| the life had left Reeds body he con-
/ tinued to utter cries and TO writhe in the
/ flames. which seemed TO have less play
! al him than Reed. Finally one Of the
mob leaned over. and. with a bludgeon.
/ smashed Cato's head open, and he seem
! ed TO give up the ghost. His body then
/ turned and took a horizontal position in
| the fire ana slowly burned 10 a crisp and
! then 20 ashes.
/ After the fire around the bodies had
! begun 10 subside a cry Was made;
! Let's 20 back and get the others
| and finish the lob while Ne are at It.
but Il was oVerTulei. Some OF the men
said they had done enough for one day.
; 4 few charred bones and ashes was all
that was left 10 tell the tale Of the
: Ivuching The mob then dispersed The
! murder Of the Hodges family had been
/ avenged according 10 lynch law ethics
and the Observation-Disclosures Of the mob had
! been appeased.
SAVANNAH SOLDIER
BLAMES SHERIFF