The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-08
THU GEORGIA RESURRECTION.
The Origin and History of
the Alleged Uprising.
THE INVESTIGATION AND THE TRIAL.
The PrOVerbial Difficulty Of Establishing
Conspiracy Demonstrated.
THE INVESTIGATION AND THE TRIAL
CuriOnS Presentment Of the Grand Jury and
Eloquent Reply Of Judge Johnson.
WHAT THE TRIAL HAS SHOWN.


Jail this morning of the twenty-nne remaining prison
ers on the recommendation of the Grand Jury is the
legal end Of the excitement convulsing this part of
Georgia for some two weeks past, and this letter
will give condensed account of the whole affair.
Some fortnight since letter--whether genuine
forged is still unknownwas discovered in the adjon
Ing county Of Johnson signed Cordy Harris and ad-
dressed TO Jerry Walters captain of negro military
company, commanding him. and through him other
like companies, to toward Station No. IL,
the Central Railroad, about twenty miles
rom here and kill and rob the whites every
hand. AS the negroes in all this region have been
oming into military organizations, meeting and
drilling by night, since March April last, and con-
Siderable uneasness had been occasioned by that cir
rumstance the contents Of the letter caused immediate
and widespread alarm among the whites Arrests OF
inspected negroes Immediately began in this Washing
ION, and In Burke, Larens and Johnson countless the
volunteer companies called out here sher7s
posse; the Governor personally visited the scene Of
disturbance, and special term OF the Superior
Court was called for the Both ult at this
point On the opening OF the term the
Grand Jury charged by the presiding Judge, Hon.
Herschel V. johnson, formerly Governor of Georgia
md the Douglas Vice Presidential candidate in 1862 to
the utmost judgment and discretion, and to treat
he colored men, whose might be brought before
lhem precisely if they white. True bills
found against Cordy Harris the 'head man. in these
parts; Prince r. Rivers, the South Carolina coored
militia major general Joseph Morris, the general
mesengnger'' (messenger; Francis Murkeson, Cordy
Harris right hand man, and Asa Gilmore, Jerry SIM
and Neil Houston alias Neil Wood, three sub
ordinate officials for attempt to incite Instruction
by organizing the coored people of this section into
combined resistance the lawful authority of the State
of Georgia
Cordy Harris was first put upon trial. and in his
the States counsel sought to show the existence of
secret oathbound negro military companies, making
up general organization, in this part of Georgia;
that Cordy Harris the head of this organization
hereabouts; that to perfect he issued orders
meeting in Sandersvile, Ca July "a 1885, of all
the companies in his command to elect military
general; !" that the meeting attempted TO be held
per order, Cordy Harris entering with a drawn
sword, mounted, in uniform and at the head of and
giving orders to a number of negro companies in uni
form and with banners and military music but proved
q failure by of the county officers
refusing Harris and his the of the
Court House, the white volunteer companies,
one Of infantry and one of cavalry being
in readiness to act sheris posse in enforcing the
REFUSAL that Cordy Harris deeply mortified and in
censed by this failure of his parade and issued orders
Tor subsequent meeting to be held, by force if
Eary thus melting that combined resistance to the law
full authority of the constituting the offence
charged.
DEFENCE .
relied upon the inability of the State to offer any evil
admissible under the rules of law to fix upon the
prisoner tho order to rise in resistance the laws
The examination of witnesses and the argument
conducted by Colonel N J. Hammond, the Attorney
General of Georgia, and Salem butcher, of Augusta,
Ca and for the defence by Hon. Amos j.
Alderman, ex-Attorney General Of the United
States the other counsel on either side taking
active part The event proved that the reliance of
The defence the proverbia difficulty of proving
Ipracy and Of using the statements of conspraor
evidence against his co-consprator not in vain.
The State established, though not without determined
resistance, the existence of the alleged secret
panes that Cordy Harris their ''head man." that
he appeared their head hold the meeting of July
"a 1875 and that he disappointed at its iaure but
the Court refused TO allow the States witnesses to
establish the reception by the negro soldiers Of orders
from the prisoner subsequent to that meeting to march
to another meeting in arms and prepared to repel by
force any interference by the State or local authorities
Murkeson gave the orders TO do this, and 10 was
ruled that combination between Cordy Harris and
Murkeson had not been sufficiently shown to allow of
the atters statements to the common design TO be
evidence this point The State fought hard for the
admission of this evidence conestng the ruling both
days of the trial. but the Court was ntlexible, and
NOT GUILTY
became necessary sequence, though the case was
eaboraely argued on both sides Counsel for the State
only argued the law and commented the evidence,
and in his argument for the defence Mr. Akerman highly
complimented their perfect fairness and mparalty and
abstinence from any appeals to the passions OF the jury
The evidence clear TO Cordy Harris leader
ship and unqucstioned authority the coored
panes TO his preparations for and disappointment in
his meeting that the presumption in favor OF his direct
ing another meeting to be carried out by force ut
one time very creating disagrcem en of the jury,
and II was not until haipast eight o'clock last night
that they brought themselves to render verdict OF mot
guilty In Scotland there would have been verdict
OF mot proven" or that the innocence OF the
prisoner was by no means admitted, but
that his guilt had not been legally shown.
In view of the deep public feeling among
the whites aud the proof made by the State of the
dctment up to the last link the chain the jury de-
honorable mention for deciding strictly accord
Eg to their oaths to regard only the law and the evil
dence. There being some apprehensons rs to Cordy
Harris safety If released at night in the FIRST ebution
Of the public excitement and discomfort the verdict
he not formally discharged until this morning. and
then forthwith made loud amentaon that some OF his
fellow sufferers in jail had stolen his clothes This
morning the Grand Jury made special prescntment,
which begins thus:-
SPECIAL PREsESrxESr OF THE GRAND JURY.
Through the dispensaGu of kind and mercifu Proyi-
dence the Of people were opened time stay the
ood should high heaven in praise Of that good
ousy appehsaded We entered upon the discharge the
duties imposed upon MS with great care with great soemny
atrocousncss charged succeeded we'll
ali bitterness thas sae conduct is SO well cacnated to ncc
"a weak nature aud have the happy consciousness Of
They then recommend the discharge of twenty. nine
prisoners, which was accordingly done, SO that with
thc ulscnafBe oil thlfty yesterday anu Tue VI
the Iaurens and johnson prisoners to those counties
there has been general Jail delivery, but three prs
oners remaining Tor trial at the regular term In re-
ply TO the presentmcnt Judge Johnson spoke as follows
deathlikc stiffness pcrvading the roOm:-
JUDGE JOHNsON's REPLY.
MR. FOREMAN GENrLEaES GRAND JURY
Win great interest have listened 10 the communication
response TO matters suggested in H. and address myself
the citizens present generally well yourselves Yon
have passed through trying ordeal. Whether Justly
Or unjustly, the white people OF this county be-
neved that on the part OF the black people there
has been AN intention to commit Of violence aud
10 deprive the white citizens Unfortunately of their lives
that wholesale assassination
lief well calculated excite Indignation and arouse
feelings of revenge IN the minds the white citizens
highly crcditablo TO the white people Of this aud other
involved that violence were committed
but that the determination pervadcd hosous of the
people generally that would be to nppea 90 the
forms principles OF the law. That been done One
case has been tried and all the facts with facts
the rules of awavc brought before
Che country Many you have heard the testimony The
Jury who tried the heard the cstmony they heard the
nf SIM ni