The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-07
MADISONS HOME GUARDS
THE GOVERNOR SATISFIED OF
THEIR GOOD FAITH.

The Military Advisory Board Not to
be Called Together to Investigate
Their Conduct-Ihe Sheriff Was
Unable to Find ANY of the Commits
stoned Officers.
ATLANTA. GA, March 6-The military
advisory board will not be called upon 70
Investigate the conduct of the Madison
Home Guards for permitting the lynching
of Brown Washington after beng ordered
out by the governor to support the sheriff
of Morgan county on the night of Feb. q.
The officers have explained, the sheriff has
explained, and the adjutant general has
notified Capt. McHenry that no charges
will be preferred against his command.
The report of the sheriff was received to
day. That official states that he advised
the governor by wire of the danger in
which his prisoner stood about $50 or g
o'clock on the afternoon of the lynching.
DELIVERY OF THE REPLY.
He waited some time for reply. 1t finally
came, as did also the order addressed to
Capt. McHenry, which the sheriff attempted
TO deliver to some officer of the company.
His attempt began about o'clock and
lasted an hour, at the end of which time,
having failed TO find any superior officer, he
gave the telegram to the orderly sergeant,
whom he found on the street. The orderly
went Immediately to the armory, calling
out at the top of his voice for the members
OF the Guards to assemble there.
THE LYNCHERs HAD THE KEYS.
The sheriff's movements had been
watched, and as soon as the sergeant gave
notice that he was going TO the armory to
carry into effect the governors order, The
prisoner, to the great surprise of the sheriff,
was taken from the Jail and hurried off.
He thought his jail keys were successfully
hidden, when in fact they were in possession
of the lynchers. 1.-The truth of the whole
matter" says the sheriff, sis, it was too
late, and it was utterly impossible for the
military to have saved the prisoner. In
fact, had Capt. McHenry been at his
home and | had carried the
telegram directly TO him, he
would not have had time to have assembled
his company and gotten to the Jail before
the prisoner had been taken and carried off,"
HOW HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAVED.
In the opinion of the sheriff the one way
in which the lynchlng could have been pre-
vented was the sending OF a special train
bearing troops to Madison, and in order for
them 10 have been of service, he thinks il
would have been necessary for them to have
reached the town by 5 o'clock, the hour at
which the prisoner was committed to jail,
and also little while after he first tele-
graphed the governor.
THE HOME GUARDS BLAMELEss.
The sheriff in conclusion repeats that the
Home Guards were blameless, that charges
against the command would be without
merit and groundleSs, and that no body of
troops could have prevented the lynching,
because the order came too late. The sheriff's |
report was accompanied by one from the
art 40 lafa ,-t
in the matter and also insists that the order
game too late In reply the adjurant general
to-day wrote Capt. McHenry hat an inves-
t1gatiOn of the facts, he is happy to say,
completely exonerates the Guards. He adds,
however, that tine reply to the sheriff
and the order calling out the
military left the executive Office before
O'Clock, and within ten minutes after the
governor had been notified of the trouble
unprecedented.
BANKS TO CONSOLIDATE.
1t is reported that the Traders Bank of
this city will consolidate the first of next
month with the American Trust and Bank
ing Company and banking company of
Gainesville. The new concern will prob
ably be known as the Traders Bank, and
have capital stock of $500, 200. Philadel-
phia capitalists are said to be in the deal.
President j. R. Wylie, of the present
Traders Bank, it is reported, will retire,
giving place to Capt. J. w. English as soon
as the transaction is consummated.
MooNsHINERs IN LIMBO.
United States marshals have made twelve
arrests in Pickens county of moonshiners
who have been banded together under the
name of the Honest Mans Friend and Pro-
tector, for the purpose of driving away and
Furnishing iuformers. One of the members
gave away the gang which consists of
twenty-seven members