Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-17
BURNED At THE STAKE
Georgia Mob Wreaks Ven
geance on Two Negroes.
WERE DEAF TO PLEAS
CHEERED WITH FRENZY AS
FLAMES BURNED DYING MEN.
Both Prisoners Had Been Duly Tried
and Sentenced by Court to
Be Hanged.

weeks ago. were burned at the stake to-
day.
This afternoon at 1:21 o'clock a deter
mined mob charged upon the court house,
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 States
boro'. and there exacted the fearful pen
atty.
The forenoon passed quietly. the trial of
Paul Reed. the ringleader in the murder.
being concluded. and verdict Of guilty
rendered. Sentence was imposed upon
both him and VIII Cato. convicted the
day before, and September 8 was fixed as
the date for the execution.
The crowd assembled about the court
house was not as large as yesterday Nor
was 1t so threatening, though. for that
matter. there was never much parade.
There was quiet about the crowd that
augured the worst. and the determination
of the countrymen who had come in from
miles around for the trial was never to
be doubted.
Up to the noon hour there was no init
nation that so soon was to be enacted
the terrible climax. In the trial of Reed
little delay was caused, and upon it's con-
clusiOn the prisoners. as before, were hus-
tied into the witness room, where a strong
guard OF military was mounted over them.
Speech Influenced the Crowd.
In the corridors the agitation began.
The spectators left the court room and
from the lawn outside many entered the
Railways. Shortly before 1 o'clock the
crowd addressed by a tall man who
seemed to inflame it greatly He called on
those about him to follow him. Then Cap
tain Hitch of the OgiethOrpe Light Infan-
try. 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 Overcame the Guards.
A commotion at the front drew the crowd
there. This was but temporary. Present.
ly 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, wrest-
ed their weapons from them and thrown
open the breech-blocks. The weapons were
empty. That was what the crowd wanted
orders not to load their rifles. The cap
tured soldiers were held prisoners The
same policy was followed with others of
the soldiers. Man after man, caught iso-
lated, was relieved of his rifle after a
struggle.
At the front a member OF the mob crept
along the wall until he got close to the
guards. He threw himself upon them In
the breach thus formed his companions
threw themselves. Two hundred wildly
cheering men followed him, and soon the
soldiers. though they fought desperately
and inflicted bayOnet wounds upon some
Of their assailants were overpowered. y
One young soldier Of the Oglethorpe
Guards never surrendered. He fought his
way free. fought through his captors and
out upon the lawn. A weapon was raised
to strike him.
"shame." shouted the crowd. and struck
down the man who had raised the weapon.
Then they threw themselves upon the boy
and overpowered him.
Mob Secured Prisoners.
The small guard about the prisoners
withdrew into the room and closed the
door. The mob crashed against it. burst
ing it as though 1t were an eggshell. The
prisoners were at their mercy, all resist
ance having been beaten down. Cato. Reed.
Handy Bell and the other prisoners cow
cred before the crowd. They dragged Cato
and Reed out, releasing Bell into the hands
of the few soldiers left there as soon as
they learned that he was not Reed, for
whom they had mistaken him. Reed was
taken down one stairway with rope about
his neck, and Cato down the other, both
pleading for their lives.
BY then the crowd numbered 800. They
dragged the men along, shouting and cheer
ing. along the roadway leading to the
Hodges homestead, where the f1ve mem
bers of the family had been murdered and
burned. This was their destination. The
heat was so intense that the crowd wearied
when two miles of the eleven-mile route
had been traversed. Going seventy-fiye
yards from the road, the crowd halted.
selves on a log. They were told that they
had but short time to live and that they
should confess.
Eager to Burn Them.
Reed was the first to speak He con-
fessed. duplicating other negroes. he
had in the court room. He denied. how
ever. that he had taken an active part in
the murder Cato answered incoherently.
The crowd moved across a field to a strip
of woodland. Several men climbed to
branches and called for ropes.
Burn them Burn them!' shouted the
crowd.
Cato begged to be shot or hanged. say
ing he was innocent: that he had had no
part In the crime. Some of the more hu-
name wanted to grant bis request. but
they were in the minority. The rest want
ed to visit the same death upon the ne
groes that they had visited upon the
Hodges family.
member Of the mob made speech
recounting the horrors OF the crime. This
iniamed the crowd to the burning pitch.
To a large stump twelve feet high, the
stump.
Then wagonload of pine wood was
hauled to the spot. 1t wak piled around
the men and ten gallons Of kerosene was
thrown over them
A photographer was present. and the
crowd was cleared back that he might
get several views OF the men bound to the
stake and ready for the burning.
Scene Provoked Frenzied Cheers.
The scene which followed beggars de-
scrIption. Frenzied cheers rent the air as
men. almost crazed with the hatred of
the men being punished. saw the cruel
flames drinking up the life blood Just as
the match was applied to the pyre one of
those in front asked Reed II he didn't want
TO tell the truth before he died
Yes. sir l killed Mr. and Mrs. Hodges"
he replied.
Who killed the children" he was asked
Handy Bell" came the response as the
flames leaped upward, and further ques-
tioning was impossible In the wild tumult.
The spectacle was frightful. AS the flames
touched Reeds naked oil-soaked skin he
twisted his head around in an endeavor to
choke himself and avoid the fearful torture
Only once did he complain. He said:
Lord. have mercy.
Cato screamed In agony and begged that
he be shot. His heavy suit of hair, which