Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-04
THE r1ll MILITARY ACADEMY AFFAIR.
The Action of the Trustees of That In
stitution Reviewed.

Inc Action OF the VI Ahct -
stitutiOn Reviewed.
Editor Morning Nelos. 1 respectfully
request that you will allow me space to
notice the article published in your
columns on yesterday headed, NAL
Burgess Sustained - Action of the
Military Academy Trustees" The
statement made in the Sunday Times
of the facts developed at the trial
of the Principal of the Military
Academy for an assault and battery on
my son is incorrect and unjust to my SON.
The evidence before the court on the
trial showed that there was no attempt DY
anv of the boys who were playing near
the academy to smirch the uniforms OF
any of the Cadets with axle grease. The
evidence, on the contrary, was that a
number of boys were playing near the
academy and were smirching each otnef.
faces with axle grease obtained from pass
ing wagons, and that when the Cadets
were dismissed this sport was EXTENDED
to them as they came out OF the academy
enclosure. Whatever of bOyish mlscnlel
there NAV have been in the sport, there
was no malice nor intent to lnJure the
person or the clothing of any of the boys.
The evidence further showed that my
son, while so engaged, was suddenly and
stealthily attacked from behind by the
PRINCIPAL of the academy, who selzed
him by the collar without any words oil
warning or remonstrance, threw him
violently to the ground; that his assallant
placed his knee upon his PROSTATE form
and beat him with clinched lists IN the
head. then Jerked him up, choked him SO
that he could not articulate, ana en-
deayOred to drag him INTO the build
inc. I was absent from the city at
the time. and upon my return L al
dressed letter to the principal ASKING an
explanation of his attack upon my son,
Receiving no reply from him, l Appealed
to the courts for the protection OF my son
rather than avenge the injury by per-
sonal attack so long after the assault had
been made and thus also become VIOLA
tor of the law. By this appeal to the court
the principal of the academy had the tull-
est opportunity to eXOnerate himself. In
regard to the trial / have only to say, that
il was in a court of competent JursGlc-
ton, by an impartial jury OF respect
able citizens, no less respectable
and intelligent than the gentlemen COM
posing the Board of Trustees OF the
Georgia Military Academy. The defend
ant was represented by able counsel. lie
and his witnesses were fully heard and
the Jury rendered a verdict of guilty with
a recommendation TO the extreme mercy
of the court. If any errors had been COM
mitted on the trial the defendant had the
right to move for a new trial, and II TINS
had been refused to appeal to higher
court. A new trial was not demanded,
and the presumption as well as the truth
is that the verdict was in accordance with
the facts and was a satisfactory eXonera-
ton of my son. Allow me to say in the
second place that whatever may
have been the object or purpose
OF the Board of Trustees in publishing
their structures upon the verdict OF the
Jury and the sentence of the court, their
conduct cannot be too severely repre-
hended. To thus review and publicly
condemn the verdict of a respectable jury,
and judgment of a competent court, and
set up their biased judgment in opposi-
ton thereto, establishes pernicious pre-
cedent and strikes at the very founda-
tions of the peace and good order OF the
community. Especially is it so here,
when it appears that the President of the
Board of Trustees, Col. c. H. Olmstead,
is the foreman of the grand jury of the
Superior Court, and Mr.. b. II. Richard
son. the Secretary of the Board, was one
of the grand jury of the City Court who
found the true bill for this very assault
and battery.
do not know by what means the Board
of Trustees reached their conclusions, but
they certainly did not have before them
the evidence which had been submitted
to the grand and petit juries, who heard
the case. Nor could they have considered
the respect which they owed to the courts
of the land, else in charity, it is to be pre-
sumed, they would have refrained from
charging the honorable court with sub
iecting their superintendent to a fine for
an ssalleged assault and battery"
l regret exceedingly that 1 have been
forced to come before the public in this
matter. The injustice done to my son by
the publication IN the Times and by the
action of the trustees of the academy can
be remedied in no other way. The evil
dence submitted at the trial Of the cause
in the court to which | had to resort in
order to obtain an impartial account of
the affair iustifes me in stating in behalf
of my son that the statement made in the
Sundau Times that he was ''chasing the
smaller cadets and attempting to smirch
their uniforms with axle grease" is with
out any foundation in fact. Respectfully,
j. r. SAUsSY.