Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-21


canvassed to find such men.
The result of these trials was as follows
On Tuesday. the 18th Of August, ten Of the
defendants were put on trial in one batch.
VIZ: Ella Moore, Reddick Powell. Bob Dom
elson, Joe King, Simon O'Gwinn alias
OQuinn, Isaac Shipman, Henry Howell,
Jack Knoles, John Kellam aud Robert Stith.
AFTER trial that lasted five days. these were
all found guilty OF murder In the second de-
gree. The last four were recon-
mended to life imprisonment In
the penitentiarV. The first six
were sentenced by Judge Pate to expiate
the crime OF which they were convicted up
on the scaffold on the 20th OF October,
between the hours of IL O'Clock a. m. and
O'Clock p. m, privately, in the town Of
Eastman, and In the meantime were sent to
Bibb county Jail for safe keeping. These
were the strongest cases, and 1t is thought
that among them is included the one who
actually did the shooting that was the i'm
mediate cause of Mr.. Harvard's death,
while 1t is certain that they include those
who took the most active part in the riot
from It's inception to its tragic end.
Then seven others charged and indicted
for the same offeuse were put upon
trial, to witt Daniel Bryant, Gus
di0os, kober' George, Robert Best,
James Oliver Copeland, Frank Adams.
and William McRae. Their trial lasted four
or hVe days, and the jury after a searching
investigation, rendered verdict against all
OF the defendants for murder ia the second
degree, recommending them to imprisou-
ment In the penitentiary for life. In the
next and last batch there were five prison
ers tried together, viz: Stafford Foster
Robert Parish, George Frink, Henry Csrmi-
chael and Jim Griswold, with the same re-
suit as in the cases OF the last preceding
seven. In this case Judge Mershon pre-
Az I'D fAr Tr4do I'M
represented In the trials of the
rioters by J. NJ. Stubbs of Dublin, Solicitor
General Eason, j. T. DeLscv, E. Herman,
and Roberts q Smith, of Eastman. The
defendants were represented by Colonel
Jack Brown, of Americas; J. Bishop, Jr., of
Eastman; J. W. Haygood, of Montezums:
Courtland Symmes, of Brunswick, and T.
Q. Taylor, of Hswkinsville The inyestiga-
tions were long and tedious. The prisoners
nad perfectly fair and impartial trial. But
the evidence against them was strong, and
could not be rebutted or overcome, Some
OF those who were sent to the penitentiarv
Tor life may well thank their stars that thew
were so fortunate as to save their necks.
1t is true, in the cases of two
or three OF those who were recon-
mended to the mercy of the
court and sentenced to the penitentiary, the
evidence was mostly circumstantiaI. but the
links In the chain of circumstances were
strong and well connected. In all the cases
but two or three, however, the testimony
left no peg upon which to hang a reasona-
BILE doubt as to the guilt of the parties. The
writer knows whereof he speaks, for he was
present st the trials, connected with the
cases as counsel for the defendants. and has
brief or the evidence now before him.
The August special term of the court,
held for the purpose Of trying the rioters,
was an important as well as an expensive
one to Dodge county Besides the Indictment
and conviction of twentY-one men and one
woman, six of whom, including the woman,
for murder, were sentenced to death to
answer for their crime, bills of in
dictment were also returned against J. B.
A. Buchan aud A. P. Harrell for manslaugh-
ter; and large number of bills were found
against parties for smaller offenses. amount
ing only to misdemeanors.
This special term of the court cost our
county about 50, 900 in extra taxes. besides
the Individual expenses and incouveniences
to our citizens. For several weeks there
was stagnation in trade and business of
every kind; farmers and business men from
all parts OF the county were called away
from their homes to attend court as Jurors
ana witnesses to the great neglect and suf-
fering of their private affairs.
Since the court adjourned MANY OF our citi-
zens nave been In constant suspense IN an
GUS wild rumors that have been circulated
to the effect that the colored people in
tended to interfere with the course OF law
and justice, and make an attempt to pre-
vent the execution of the six rioters convict
ed OF murder and sentenced to be hanged.
Even while the court was yet In session,
Judge Pate received an ANONYMOUS postal
card from Macon, signed "Somebodv.n and
threatening his life. The Atlanta Defiance
newspaper published by negroes, IN its
issue OF September 19sh, contained an edi.
tortal outrageousIy attacking the court and
iuries that tried the rioters, stating that thew
were cOnvictiDg innocent scolored men bv
the wholesale (sll of which was unuuali-
tedlY false) and calling upon the colored
people generally to know whether thew
would tsmely submit TO such procedure.
The Savannah Echo. another newspaper
edited by negroes, copied this shameful
article andgave 1t still further circulation.
Again, recently, the Echo published another
editorial In It's own columns scurrillous in
its character, and calculated to incite the
negroes to some act of violence and inter-
ference with the verdict of the Jury and
order OF the court convicting the rioters and
sentencing them to be hung A few davs
ago another anonymous postal card was
mailed at the post Office here, directed to
"Mr. Everybody, By Cd, Eastman, Ga. :"
aud threatening trouble on the day of the
uduSluSs Saying Guab Wn6Q bn0SG negroes
are hung 'twe will all die together" There
have also been various rumors of secret
meetings held by the negroes, plotting to
rescue the prisoners. Last week Sheriff
Sapp received letter from the taller in
Macon stating that he was Informed
that the negroes there were Or
ganized to prevent the prisoners from
being brought down and executed: that II
was rumored that an attempt would be made
to rescue them between here and Macon.
by tearing up the railroad track and wreck
ing the train upon which they were to be
brought down, and that there would prob
ably be thousand negroes here on the dav
OF the execution from Dodge's railroad in
Telfair county, and other places, to play
the mischief generally.
In view of all these things, for the pro.
tection and safety Of our town, for the pre-
servation Of order, and to maintain the
majesty OF the law and carry out the man
dates Of the court, our citizens organized
themselves into a quasi military company
to assist the Sheriff in case he needed as.
sistance; the Town Council was recon-
mended TO put several extra policemen on
duty at night, and to put on a strong force
on the day of the execution, and the Sheriff
summoned posse Of a hundred and fifty or
two hundred men from the county for guard
duty to day.