Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-27
THy SEIZURE OF FoEr JACKSON.
The Invaders Of the fortlil'a'io"
Tnd.r Rail TO Appear Before the Uni
- f,c,,rt-The Examination Be
-. -. Ii. NasferdaN


- S..tes Co,urf-Tfe Examination De
tore CommiSsiOner Erwin Yesterday
Tho NoRNTNG NEWS Of Tuesday re-
,...-,oi that a party composed Of whites
- nae,roes had captured Fort Jackson a
few davs ago. and that warrants Tor their
arrest mad been issued. The offenders
we're brought before United states Com
missioner Erwin on Tuesday evening, and
the preliminary examination Of the case
( was concluded Yesterday. the proceeding
bearing the title Of the United states s..
JA.H. Umbach. larceny: Vim. Umbacn-
+ Cesar rivals. colored. and Alonzo Ryals,
/ colored. accessories. The government
was represented by District Attorney
DarneU and the defendants by Mr. :. p.
Adams. The evidence adduced was as
follows:
WIN. West. keeper Of Fort jackson,
testified that on sunday, the 10th q sep
famber he left Fort Jackson early in the
morning. and went up 70 the Jettles. ana
that after being there awhile, ne neard
hammering down towards the fort
ne returned 10 the fort while
there was thick fog hanging over the
river. and found boat up on the shore
which had been lett by the tide. mat
be went UP 10 the fort. and found man
whom he identified "a the defendant inside
the archway OF entrance. He asked the
defendant if he had been shooting. The
defendant said yes That VII
ness went 70 the gate and
found the lock and chain broken,
the lock appearing 70 have been neaEllE
battered. He then talked To the defen-
dant some time. Defendant asked MIN 70
take "A drink with him. and he pretended
To do 50. While talking with him the de-
fendant examined his gun as II 10 see II II
was loaded. During the conversation he
asked defendant in. but the latter mad
already been in. About that time two
white men and two negroes came IN. Inc
defendant said they were his men. Wit
ness asked defendant how II happened
that the door was broken in. he SAID
when be came there were TOUR negroes
sitting there. and that they went on down
the river. The defendant then asked
what was the penalty Tor breaking INTO
the fort. Witness told him that II II was
"a state law it would be eighteen years
IMPRISONMENT. but that il did not amount
10 ANYTHING in an old TORT IKE
this. The defendant then said: Il
tell YOU. 1 had devil OF
a lob breaking into this door, nile
talking 10 him / heard the echo IN the Tort
of the sound Of boat on the river. w hen
I got out found that a boat had landed
with two large white men. They got out
with guns on their shoulders. The boat
had "Market Ferry" written on II. The
men in the boat came up 10 the fort, but
when they saw me they did not come IN.
They spoke 10 defendant, and they all
seemed 10 know each other. The boat
with the two men went away shortly
after The defendant had shot gun and
"A pistol. He was shooting in the fort and
making target Of everything. ! asked
the defendant in for the purpose OF ind
ing out about the breaking into the fort.
| made some coffee for him. After the
party left / missed number Of articles,
but afterwards found most Of them scat
tered around the fort. Witness saw de-
lendant put cup and saucer belonging
10 him i'm his basket and carry them
away. He thought the defendant took
them by mistake rs they were Of little
value.
W. r. Curtis testified that he is a nited
states engineer. in charge Of river i'm
prOvements and forts at Savannah. and
that he was at Fort jackson on Tuesday
and found the lock on the gate to the fort
broken and the door fastening broken
open. That there j. government property
and ammunition i'm the fort. Last Satur-
day. on returning 70 the barracks in the
city. he found the defendant and Mr..
West the keeper Of the fort in his office.
Defendant admitted that he broke open
the door with "A hatchet. and that he had
some lunch and beer with him and wanted
some water. and broke open the door 10
get it, The defendant said that his broth
or. VIM. Umbach, and Caesar RIVALS and
AlOnzO Ryals. both cOlored. were with
him. That he knew he was doing wrong
and was willing 10 pay any damages done.
The defendant did not manifest any reluc-
lance i'm giving his name.
Messrs. Bendheim, Cunningham. Gil
bert and Henry Blum, in behalf Of the
defense, testified To his general character,
and that he was "A merchant. and uni
f0rmly regarded a. upright, honest and in
good standing in the community.
The defendant testified that on last sun
day a week ago, be went out for a rice
bird hunt with his brother and little boy
and two cOlOred men, one Of whom is his
porter. and the other a driver for his
brother. Defendant had been closely con-
fined 10 business for months and went out
for "A little recreation. He had often
hunted i'm the country around Fort Jack
son, and he went there for that purpose.
That after hunting about through the rice
fields. and returning to the fort be was
worn out and sick. He found that the
tide had left his boat up on the land, and
he was very thirsty and could not get to the
water in the river on account Of the mud.
He said the river water was Drackish and
unfit to drink. Finding that he had to
STAY until the tide came up again, and
believing there was good water in the
fort he went 10 the door and finding it
locked he partly drew the staple with a
hatchet. Defendant said he may have
battered the lock in doing so. That as
soon as the door gave about an inch a lot
Of chickens came running up to the door,
and he finding that the place was occu-
pied. at once endeayOred 10 close II up as
IL was before. That he had often been at
the fort in previous hunts and taken lunch
with the former keeper in the fort. He
did not know at this time that the fort
was occupied by anybody. When he saw
the place was occupied it occurred to him
that he might be doing wrong and he did
not enter. but laid down in the archway
and sent his brother after water. That
Mr.. West came up in about an hour and
a half afterwards and asked who had
broken the lock: Il said had seen four
negroes 20 OFF i'm a boat Mr.. West said
he had "A suspicion who did it. When |
thought he was fastening suspicion on
other persons. | owned that | did il.
Defendant said he did not know the men
who came up in the other boat. That all
his party went into the fort on the invita-
ton Of Mr.. West, who then said that his
name was 'Petrosky." Defendant said
he had not been into the fort before, but
that after the party got IN Mr.. West said
he missed his chest and clothes, but after
/ owned that | had broken the lock he
said he had only stated that he had
missed these things as a ruSe, as he knew
| was gentleman. and he thought he could
find out who broke the gate. |
told him | would willingly answer for
what had done and pay any damages re-
quired. Mr.. West prepared coffee for US,
ana seemed very friendly. He led US
around the fort and showed us a pile of
dynamite. lie passed package of it to
us but my brother was the only one who
handled il. When left | told Mr.. West
If he desired il | would report what | had
done to the officer at the barracks, and
would pay for the lock. Mr.. West re-
marked: "Say no more about it: that it
would 20 no further" Defendant said he
did not shoot inside the fort; that he had
"A number of empty bottles with him for
practice: that they threw some Of them
up and shot at them outside the fort; that
he broke the lock through thOughtless-
ness. and with no intention to do wrong.
VIM. Umbach, VIM. Beenk and the
two cOlOred men were then sworn. and,
in the main, cOrrobOrated the statement
Of the principal defendant.
Mr.. Curtis was recalled and testified:
There is a ditch around the fort, and all
the water supply in the fort comes from
the river through the ditch and an open
ing leading out Of the ditch into the fort.
That there is an old we'll in the fort, but not
IN use. That there is IA good wharf, with
steps leading down to the water at the
fort landing, and that there is no trouble
either at high or low water to get water
from the river. That the water at that
point is never brackish. except at spring